Karat denies meeting Maoist leader

Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat on Thursday described as 'untrue' a media report saying he met Nepalese Maoist leader, Babburam Bhattarai, in New Delhi.

In a statement released in New Delhi, Karat said: "The report that I have met a Maoist leader from Nepal in a meeting arranged by the Indian security

agencies is untrue. No such meeting was held.

Bhattarai also, in a statement e-mailed to various newspapers in Kathmandu, rejected the report that Indian intelligence had arranged his meeting with Karat.

He, however, did not deny the meeting, asserting that he does not need help from the Indian intelligence to meet anybody.