KATHMANDU: UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said his party would leave the government if the CPN-Revolutionary Maoist led by Mohan Baidya would unite with his party.

"It is not a big deal for me to leave the government if the two Maoist parties unite," Dahal said while speaking at a function, "I had nearly left the government some time ago."

Earlier, Baidya had told Dahal at the same function that the unity would be possible if Dahal's party quit the government.

Dahal was of the view that the unity between Maoist parties was imperative to protect achievements of the armed struggle.

Meanwhile, Dahal warned the government against raising issues from the conflict era.

He said if the conflict-era issues were dealt through regular court proceedings, he should be jailed first.

"If the court can give justice," he said, "Sher Bahadur Deuba (Nepali Congress President) and Prachanda (Dahal himself) should be jailed at first."

Deuba had led the government thrice during the Maoist insurgency period.

Claiming that conspiracies were rife to raise the war-era issues against the Comprehensive Peace Accord, Dahal said such activities must be stopped.