KATHMANDU: Unified CPN-Maoist vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai today said criminals were running the government and added that due to this fact it failed to arrest murderers of journalists.

“Criminals have formed the government; so how can one expect this government to take action against the criminals,” he said. He was addressing an interaction on “Increasing attack on journalists and government’s indifference” organised by the Revolutionary Journalists’ Association here.

Responding to statements made by other speakers that Maoists were involved in attacking journalists, he said his party has already apologised for past mistakes and has committed not to repeat them.

“We are ready to face healthy criticism against our party as they help the party correct its mistakes,” he said.

Dr Bhattarai also warned that the country could slide to a “dangerous conflict” if parties failed to issue the constitution by the May 28 deadline. “Therefore, everyone should focus on averting such a situation,” he said.

Addressing the programme, president of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Upendra Yadav said PM Madhav Kumar Nepal is conspiring to prove that the Constituent Assembly is useless and that he is sabotaging the peace process by proposing a ‘brief constitution’, extending the tenure of the CA and going for another election.

“Those who were against republic, federalism and democracy are now in the government,” he commented.