Say Maoist activities against 25-point code of conduct

Kathmandu, November 7:

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives today criticised the government and the Home Minister for being a mere spectator to Maoist activities that are against the 25-point Code of Conduct.

“The Home Minister has become a mere body guard of the Maoist supremo,” said Pradip Nepal of the CPN-UML. He accused the Maoists were replacing Village Development Committees (VDC) with the “village people’s government” in many regions.

Claiming that the Maoists have not stopped their extortion drive, Nepal demanded that “the talks team be dissolved and a new one formed.”

According to him, armed Maoists were visiting houses in Koteshwor and asking civilians to feed and accommodate 10 Maoist cadres for three days or pay Rs 25,000.

“The Maoists can bring 6 lakh people, but how can they make civilians pay for them? The Home and Defence ministries should be dissolved if they cannot provide security to the common people,” Nepal said, adding that the Home Minister will be responsible for any untoward incident that may take place in case common people retaliate.

MP Chiranjivi Wagle also claimed that the country was going through a situation of statelessness. “Maoists have violated the code of conduct by using small arms and threatening people if they failed to fulfil their demands,” he said.

Locals protest high-handedness

LALITPUR: A group of about 80 locals from Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City-3 on Tuesday went to the Maoists’ contact office at Kupondole and urged them not to ask locals to accommodate their cadres in their houses and feed them during their stay in the capital. “We are making plans to protest the Maoist activity,” Buddha KC, a local, said. Sources said about 10,000 Maoist cadres have come from different parts of the country to Kathmandu to take part in the mass meeting to be organised at Tundikhel on Friday. — HNS

NHRC condemnation

Kathmandu: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today condemned the Maoists for exerting pressure on residents of the valley to shelter them in houses for a few days. In a statement, the NHRC said it has begun a probe into the matter after receiving complaints from civilians and organisations.

Such acts violate individuals’ fundamental rights and international humanitarian laws, the NHRC said, adding the Maoists’ act will only terrorise the public.

According to reports, Maoist cadres have been exerting pressure on the people to shelter them in their houses for around three days - mostly from November 8 to 10. Maoists across the country are expected to participate in a mass gathering, scheduled to be held in Sainik Manch in Tundikhel on November 10. — HNS