Opposition parties as well as media personnel have refuted allegations made by Home Minister Kamal Thapa that seven party opposition alliance, a section of international community and media were supporting the Maoist activities.

General Secretary of Nepali Congress, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat

General Secretary of Nepali Congress, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat (File Photo)
Talking to Nepalnews, joint General Secretary of Nepali Congress, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, said that the seven party opposition alliance was not in favour of violence and that they have never supported the violent activities being carried out by the Maoists.

He claimed that the remarks by Home Minister Thapa was an attempt to weaken the movement of the seven party alliance which he said is moving towards a decisive turn.

Dr. Mahat made it clear that the 12-point agreement between political parties and Maoists aimed at restoring what he called complete democracy in the country and to bring them into the political mainstream rather than assisting them to carry out violent activities.

Home Minister Kamal Thapa

Home Minister Kamal Thapa (File Photo)
Home Minister Kamal Thapa had accused the alliance of seven political parties of encouraging Maoist rebels to carry out violent activities.

Holding a press conference after visiting Tansen on Thursday, Home Minister Thapa alleged that the Maoists had carried out their activities with the tacit approval of the seven parties.

He also smelled a rat in the fact that the seven parties had refrained from condemning the Maoist attack in Thankot and Dadhikot police posts last month that saw the death of one dozen security personnel.

Dr Mahat said that it was not necessary to issue press release after every incident, adding, “The alliance never supports the violent activities of the Maoists.”

Vice Chairman of people’s Front Nepal, Lilamani Pokhrel said that the statement by the Home Minister was a result of his “ill mentality.”

“These incidents are the results of the state’s refusal to respond to four-month-long unilateral ceasefire declared by the Maoists and its act to push them back to violence. So the state should take the responsibility for the latest Maoist attack at Palpa,” he added.

When asked why the opposition parties were not denouncing the violent activities by the Maoists, Pokhrel said, “Our duty is not only to issue condolence message. We are working to restore permanent peace in the country and the on-going agitation is part of it.”

“The 12-point pact will continue and we will move ahead by upgrading our understanding,” said Pokhrel.

11 security personnel and eight rebels were killed during the fierce overnight battle at Tansen and Maoists abducted 34 security personnel and three officials including Chief District Officer Laxman Thapa on Tuesday.

Home Minister Thapa termed the Maoist attack as “heinous and inhumane” and said that they had destroyed historical monuments, attacked Bal Mandir (children’s home), Scout building, and houses of local residents and businessmen. Thapa also accused rebels of using human shield in the attack. He applauded the security forces for exercising restraint, which he said saved huge loss of life and property.

Talking to Nepalnews, senior journalist and editor of Himal Southasian magazine Kanak Mani Dixit said the allegations leveled by the Home Minister against were not true.

“There is no major media house that I know today is supporting the Maoist activities in anyway,” he added.

President of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), an umbrella organization of working journalists across the country, Bishnu Nisthuri said that the recent remark by the Home Minister Thapa alleging the media was nothing but an attempt to cover up the inefficiency of the royal government.

“There is no basis in such statements. It is only a ploy to pass the buck at a time when the government is getting isolated from all quarters of life,” Nisthuri added.