Home Minister Dharma Bahadur Thapa Monday refuted a news item published by the Kantipur Daily in which he was quoted as saying that the Maoists were not terrorists. The Minister claimed that the news was distorted with ill intention to create confusion.

Thapa claimed that he had only said, “The law of the land has clearly defined what terrorism is and who the terrorists are.” He said at a programme organized at the Reporters’ Club that the law defines the criteria of punishment to be given to those perpetrating terrorism and hence he need not make a separate announcement as to who the terrorists were.