India plotting our downfall, say Nepalese Maoists

The armed wing of Maoists in Nepal alleged that the Nepalese government and India were plotting against them even as they dismissed reports that they are providing arms and training to Indian Naxalites.

People's Liberation Army chief of the Maoists Barsha Man Pun 'Ananta' said the Nepal Army at the behest of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal is preparing a report to tarnish their image and to sideline the Maoists from the mainstream national politics.

"I have information that the Nepal Army was directed by the prime minister to prepare a report six months ago to foil their efforts to extend the tenure of Constitutional Assembly," Ananta said.

Speaking at an interaction programme organised by Reporters Club in Kathmandu on Tuesday, Ananta said that the report was prepared with an intention to derail the ongoing peace process and to sideline the Maoists from mainstream national politics.

"The Nepal Army had assigned the task to its Eastern Brigade," he claimed and added that the report might have been sent to India now. Both Nepalese and Indian governments are involved in the plot, he further claimed. He said that his party was ready to face any punishment if the charges proved true and called on the government to conduct an impartial official inquiry into the matter at the earliest instead of making it a point of political bargain. However Nepali Congress central member Gopal Man Shrestha said the claims is serious if true, and called on the government to raise the curtain on the issue by conducting an independent inquiry in the matter.

Shrestha said that the Maoist accusation on Nepal Army, and on both Indian and Nepali governments were false and a move to save themselves. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala termed the accusation as serious matter and said that she will take up the matter in the next cabinet meeting for conducting a probe into the issue.