Dharan, September 20:

Maoist leader Dev Gurung today accused Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala of kowtowing to regressive forces and trying to save the monarchy.

He said the Maoists quit the government because of Koirala’s pro-monarchy stance.

Addressing the third national convention of the Limbu Rastiya Mukti Morcha here, the Maoist leader: “The Prime Minister is colluding secretly with the king and is playing games to save the monarchy.”

Gurung alleged that the Nepali Congress stand to go for a democratic republic was aimed at keeping the Maoists in the government and emasculating them politically.

“The PM wanted the Maoists to stay in the government and have the constituent assembly (CA) polls held. Under no circumstance can such a poll usher in a new Nepal,” he said.

A third revolution was necessary to counter the influence of the foreign forces meddling in the country’s politics, said Gurung and urged the people to support the Maoists in the new revolution.

Maoist Member of Parliament Kumar Phudong, Maoist former minister Ambika Sanwa, Maoist central member and Limbuwan in-charge Ram Karki and Limbuwan Mukti Morcha former president Bhakta Raj Kandangwa also expressed their views on the occasion.

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress leader Dr Shekhar Koirala said that the Maoists have boosted regressive forces by leaving the government.

Addressing the Nepali Congress cadres at Sunsari Constituency No 1, Dr Koirala said: “Their action will strengthen regressive forces an eventually lead to erosion of the Maoists’ existence.”

Stating that the Maoist action had endangered the peace process itself, he also described them as political frauds saying that they left the government after committing that they would work for the establishment of a democratic republic.

He also said that the legitimacy of the government would end if the CA polls were not held on the scheduled date.

Dr Koirala claimed that the Maoists had been looking for an excuse to leave the government and that their stand on having the nation declared a republic before the CA polls was only a hoax.