The CPN (UML) on Sunday condemned what the ‘intrusion’ of security personnel, posing as Maoists, in a gathering of party cadres in Baglung district yesterday.

Issuing a press statement, the UML said, “Our party, the CPN (UML), strongly denounces the undemocratic, immoral and inhuman intruding of the security personnel in the party program with the motive of breaching the 12-point accord [with the CPN-Maoist] and create rift among the seven parties.”

The UML also called upon its party cadres to be alert against the propoganda of the state in the days to come, “especially any vandalism by disguised security personnel and the spies,” the statement signed by Amrit Bohara, secretary of the Central Secretariat, further said.

The UML claimed that “disguised personnel of the Royal Nepalese Army” entered into the gathering organised by the party at a school premises in Kalimati.

“It has been as clear as the day light that the unconstitutional government with the state machinery is fabricating a grand design to abolish the democratic system, to create a violent situation against peace and to bring to an end all the fundamental rights of the people,” the UML said, accusing the government of trying to disunite the agitating political parties and turning the peaceful political movement into a violent one.

The party also denounced the misbehaving of the security forces with Hari Narayan Gautam, a local journalist, who revealed that the persons who introduced themselves as Maoists were in fact security personnel.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a press statement said it was seriously concerned over the media reports about the alleged arrest and three-hour detention of journalist Gautam in an army barrack.

The ministry said that a security patrol was on its way to Bhir Lakuri of the same district and the security personnel had stopped at Kalimati after the locals informed that a gathering was underway there. The ministry explained that considering the sensitive situation in the area the commander of the security team didn’t mention his real name when two persons asked him to introduce himself.

“When two persons approached him for introduction, journalist Gautam, who was personally familiar with the team commander, disclosed his real name saying that “there is nothing to worry about the presence of the security men],” the statement said and added that due to sensitive situation Gautam was asked to accompany to a distance from where the army barrack would be contacted via mobile phone.

Gautam was requested not to disclose the identity of the security commander but he revealed it in front of the participants of the program, according to the statement.

Later on, the security officials respectfully let him go after some time, the ministry said.

Saying that the news reports could tarnish the image of the national armed force, the ministry also called upon the publications to officially rebuff the published reports.