Kathmandu, February 3:

A meeting of the joint people’s central coordination committee held today condemned the government for accusing the agitating parties, international community and the media of egging the Maoists on violence.

“The seven agitating parties believe that political change is possible through peaceful movement of people, not through arms and violence,” said a press statement issued by the coordination committee, reacting to a statement by Home Minister Kamal Thapa, who said yesterday that the agitating parties, the media and international community were encouraging the Maoists for violence.

“It is the royalists and a handful of mandales who want continuation of violence to prolong their autocratic rule,” said the statement, adding that the government’s non-reciprocity of the Maoists’ unilateral ceasefire proved that they did not want to see peace being restored.

The statement also said that the alliance would in the days to come bring people to the streets of the capital, district headquarters and highways to “overthrow the autocratic monarchy”.