Maoist hardliners to focus on constitution

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Senior vice-chairman of the Unified CPN-Maoists Mohan Baidhya, who has been leading the radical faction of the party, today claimed that his faction would not shy away from constitution-drafting process.

Baidhya claimed that the four forces have been taking the whole Constituent Assembly members hostage and have intervened in their rights to draft the new constitution on their own.

While addressing a book launching function at Kupondole, Baidhya said his faction would fight till the last second to draft a pro-people constitution. He claimed that the parties had conspired against dignified army integration, but they won’t let that happen in the constitution-drafting process.

Baidhya released the book, Nepalma Janayuddha (People’s War in Nepal) penned by revolutionary writer Rishiraj Baral during the function. Baral, in his writings, severely criticised party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai claiming that they betrayed Nepali revolution and Nepali people.

Baidhya further said his party has never proposed 11 pradeshes model and was still demanding 14 pradeshes. He claimed that the issue of 11 pradeshes has already been dismissed. He also said his faction has been struggling by strongly raising the issues of national independence and the livelihood.

Citing some instances of government suppression of poor people including the incident of Nawalparasi and Kailali, where people from Tharu community were thrashed and squatters of Bagmati riverside in Kathmandu were bulldozed, Baidhya said one of the factions of his party has turned to be fascists. “They have even gone beyond the Panchayati rulers,” he said adding, “We feel shame to say that this government is led by Maoists.”

On his part, party secretary CP Gajurel alleged party chairman Dahal as a red betrayer and accused the four major forces that they were plotting to laden the imported constitution restricting the CA members from drafting the new constitution.