trike out of Maoist control: PM

KATHMANDU, Dec 21: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Monday morning asked Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to withdraw the protests.


In a telephone conversation between the two leaders on the second day of the three-day general strike called by the Maoists, Nepal drew Dahal´s attention to the violence during the strike and the possibility of the protests going out of the control of the Maoist leaders.

“The movement is not in your control,” the prime minister´s political advisor Raghuji Panta quoted PM as telling to Dahal. “And if the protests go in the same manner, they will slip away from your own control. This will ultimately incur losses to your party.”

Nepal also warned that the government will adopt stern measures to discharge its responsibility if the protests continue to be violent.

In reply, Dahal admitted that the protests had gone violent and that the ties between the major political parties have worsened further.

According to Dahal´s personal secretary Samir Dahal, the Maoist Chairman asked the prime minister to help create an environment for consensus.

The two leaders have agreed to hold meeting soon to address the Maoist demands. However, the date of the meeting has not been fixed yet.