State of law and order will decide emergency extension: Gautam

September 2, 2002
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Minister without portfolio Rishikesh Gautam said Sunday that if the law and order situation goes on deteriorating then the government would be compelled to extend the state of emergency.

Speaking at a programme organized by the Reporters’ Club in the capital Sunday, Gautam said the government was committed to hold the forthcoming elections in a free, fair and impartial manner.

There have been conflicting views in the government regarding the extension of the emergency. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba during his trip to Belgium told the EU officials that emergency would be lifted during the polls.

But other Ministers in the Deuba cabinet have been hinting that the decision on emergency extension has not been made yet.

The third phase of emergency declared in May came to an end on August 28. Following the expiry of emergency there have been a flurry of bomb attacks on commercial centers and politicians.

The Maoists attacked a vehicle-reconditioning center in Teku Sunday morning and damaged 22 vehicles. Attacks have been there every day after the emergency lapsed last week.