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| Kathmandu, Friday March 07, 2003 Falgun 23, 2059. |
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Lawsuit against Prachanda,
Bhattarai riles rebels
Post Report
KATHMANDU, March 6 : The Maoist leadership has taken strong
exception to the filing of the cases against Dr Baburam Bhattarai, head of the Maoist
negotiating team, and party chairman Prachanda.
"They have taken it as the
government’s motive to escape from its commitment to seek solution of the problems
through dialogue," a high-place Maoist source said.
At a time when the Maoists and some human
rights groups are demanding that Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Control and
Punishment) Act should be annulled in order to create an atmosphere conducive for talks,
the government was invoking the same draconian act, sources said.
Senior Maoist leaders are also understood to
be approaching different political party leaders, human rights groups and the civil
society, urging them to put pressure on the government that it should not be doing
anything to derail the peace process.
The government yesterday had filed case in
court against Prachanda and Dr Bhattarai including some other central level Maoist
leaders, accusing them of being involved in an attack on Bhiman police post in Sindhuli
district. Incidentally about 50 armed police personnel had lost their lives in the attack
last September.
The Maoist leadership has not yet formally
reacted to the government move. However the source said he found strident criticism among
the Maoists for filing the case at a time when the creation of conducive atmosphere for
the talks has been delayed.
Meanwhile, Birendra Jhapali and Dadi Ram
Lamichhane, who initially facilitated Physical Planning Minister Narayan Singh Pun to
establish contacts with senior Maoist leaders that ultimately led to the truce, are
believed to have met three central level Maoist leaders - Muma Ram Khanal, Krishna Dhoj
Khadka and Rekha Sharma - in Gorkha jail today. The two have been visiting different jails
and meeting detained rebels.
Khanal and Khadka were involved in the previous peace process
indirectly have been under custody of the security forces ever since they were arrested
during the emergency.
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