Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) KP Sharma Oli, who also holds the foreign portfolio, has urged the Maoists to stop all their activities that adversely affect the peace process to create conducive environment for talks.

Speaking at a programme organized on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of the National Democratic Youth Federation, Nepal, DPM Oli asked, “While the government has been expressing its firm commitment to the six-point agenda endorsed by the seven-party alliance and to the 12-point understanding reached with the Maoists to restore peace, what sort of negotiations do the Maoists want by continuing their extortions, intimidations and recruitment for their militia?”

Such activities would not help create a favorable atmosphere for peace talks as the government and the Maoists had spoken about in the past, Oli added.

He said that armed Maoists in combat attire were intimidating people, extorting one million rupees from the UML’s district level cadres and forcing them to attend Maoist functions.

Speaking at the same programme, CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal also urged both the government and the Maoists to bridge the widening gap and crisis of confidence by abiding sincerely by the ceasefire and the peace process.

He said that extortion, intimidation and other activities unfavorable for the peace process should be halted immediately.

Meanwhile, central acting chief of Maoist affiliated Tamang Autonomous Republican Power, Dawa Tamang (Kshitiz), said the Maoists would not stop activities like collection of donation, tax and interrogation until an interim government with the involvement of Maoists is formed.

Speaking at a press conference organised after the announcement of District Peoples’ Government (Dolakha) in Charikot, he further added that issues related to race, gender and regional good governance should be guaranteed while going for a constituent assembly.

Despite criticism from all quarters, Maoists abducted a businessman in Sarlahi district and are still extorting money in various parts of the country.

According to a press statement issued by the Directorate of Public Relations of the Royal Nepalese Army, Maoists abducted Shankar Rayamajhi, a local timber trader, from Nayaroad of Sarlahi, Sunday. He was taken towards an undisclosed location.

Meanwhile, a report from Dolakha said that Maoist rebels are still continuing with the collection of forced ‘taxes’ from various government and non-government organizations.

A district level meeting of the Maoists’ district level government also passed a proposal to this effect and made it mandatory for I/NGOs and government organizations to register with their party, newspaper reports said.

Similarly, the Maoists extorted sums of money, ranging from Rs 10,000 to 150,000, from local businessmen at Phidim, district headquarters of Panchthar, on Sunday.

Meanwhile in Parbat, Maoist rebels on Friday seized four youths and held them in their “labor detention camp” at Chitre VDC, charging them of beating their cadre.