Kathmandu, January 15 Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who led the 10-year long Maoist insurgency from 1996 to 2006, today said the allegation that he was responsible for 17,000 conflict-era killings was false, but added that he was ready to take responsibility of 5,000 deaths. Stating that the government during the insurgency was responsible for the killing of 12,000 people, Dahal said holding him responsible for the atrocities committed by the then state would be injustice. “Please check the statistics.The then state killed 12,000 people. If you hold me responsible for the killing of 5,000 persons, I am ready to accept it,” said Dahal at a programme held at Tundikhel on the occasion of Maghi festival. Dahal also reiterated that he would take full responsibility of the ‘people’s war’. “I take full responsibility of all good and bad work of the war. I will never run away,” he said. “But please do not hold me responsible for anything that I have not done.” Dahal also said he would ensure release of Tikapur carnage convict Resham Chaudhary, who has challenged his conviction at the High Court. Stating that he was the one who played crucial role in ensuring Chaudhary’s swearing in as a lawmaker, Dahal said his party was discussing about annulling false cases against many individuals in relation to the Tikapur carnage. “Not only Tharus, even others involved in the people’s war are in jail. Therefore, the movement is under way to ensure that the false cases against those individuals are scrapped,” he added.