Kathmandu, September 20

A senior leader of the ruling CPN-Maoist Centre has criticised Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s recent visit to India.

CPN-MC Foreign Department Head Narayan Kaji Shrestha expressed his reservation on some points of the Nepal-India joint statement issued during PM Dahal’s visit to the southern neighbour from September 15 to 18.

During a CPN-MC meeting to review the PM’s India visit, Shrestha said mentioning the content of Nepal’s constitution in the joint communiqué was wrong, as it was Nepal’s internal matter.

Shrestha also expressed displeasure over the intent of Points No 11 and 13 of the joint statement, which stated ‘holding similar views on major international issues’ between the two countries and ‘setting up a joint oversight mechanism to review progress on bilateral joint venture projects in Nepal’ respectively. The Ministry of Foreign

Affairs had issued a statement yesterday claiming that sharing views and making common positions with other countries on pressing international issues was not a big deal.

The ministry, however, kept mum on the concern shared by a section of the media and intelligentsia about mentioning Nepal’s constitution in the joint communiqué.

Meanwhile, the CPN-MC Central Office meeting held at the PM’s private residence in Lazimpat this morning, however, dubbed the PM’s visit to India ‘successful’.

According to CPN-MC spokesperson Pampha Bhusal, the meeting concluded that the visit had contributed to strengthening bilateral relations between

the two countries, ensuring India’s additional support to the quake survivors of Nepal and eliciting positive vibes about Nepal’s constitution.

It’s learnt that some party leaders questioned the intent of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, which recently announced it would begin a probe into the alleged embezzlement of funds disbursed for Maoist combatants in cantonments. PM Dahal said it was a plot designed by the CIAA under the influence of CPN-UML to keep in check the CPN-MC and its leaders.

The PM’s Chief Adviser Chakrapani Khanal said the PM told the gathering that he had discussed with CIAA Chief

Commissioner Lokman Singh Karki why he was raising the matter, as it had already been discussed earlier.

According to Khanal, the PM reminded Karki that the case was directly linked to the peace process and apprised him of possible implications if CIAA proceeded with the probe.