A senior Indian official has said that India wants Maoist insurgency in Nepal to be resolved within the framework of the country’s constitution.

Briefing media personnel after Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s meeting with senior Indian officials in New Delhi Friday, Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said, “There should be peace (in Nepal) within the ambit of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy.”

Saran’s comments have come at a time when parliament remains dissolved in the country for the last two years and critics say King Gyanendra is asserting his role in the country’s governance. The Nepali monarch has appointed three prime ministers within the last two years after assuming executive powers in October 2002.

Saran said that even the Maoists could take part in general elections in Nepal (as and when they are held). “But no one should pursue political means through violence,” he added.

The former Indian envoy in Kathmandu said, “The Maoists have now become a ‘shared security threat’ to both Nepal and India, and we don’t want any criminal activities on both sides of the border.”

“The government of India doesn’t believe that there is a complete military solution (to the crisis),” said Saran adding, “We view that solution should be sought through peaceful means.” .nepalnews.com by Sep 11 04