By IANS,
Kathmandu : Nepal’s former guerrillas, the Maoist party, Monday warned they would oppose any controversial deal between the coalition government and India during Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s maiden India visit that kicks off Tuesday, casting a shadow over the outcome of the five-day trip.
The communist leader is taking a jumbo delegation of over 60 people, including several ministers, secretaries, captains of industry and journalists, to the Indian capital Tuesday where he will meet his Indian peer, Manmohan Singh, president of the Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, and other Indian ministers and political leaders.
He will also pay a courtesy call on Indian President Pratibha Patil and convey to her the invitation extended by Nepal’s President Ram Baran Yadav to visit the Himalayan republic.
The much-vaunted India trip however could remain restricted to a goodwill visit with little progress made in bilateral relations, given the current political turmoil in Nepal.
On Monday too, the Maoists, now the largest party in parliament, blocked the house, demanding action by the Nepal government against army chief Gen Rookmangud Katawal, whom they had tried to sack while they were in power; and against the president, who saved the general by reinstating him.
This is their second siege on parliament. After the fall of their eight-month government in May, the former rebels had obstructed the house for over two months.
This time, they began their siege again Aug 7 after their one-month ultimatum to the Nepal government expired. The continued obstruction could derail the scheduled implementation of a new constitution by May 2010.
The Maoists are demanding action against the army chief and the president as well as the dissolution of the government. They are seeking a new `national’ government under their own stewardship.
Since they blame India for the fall of their government, the opposition party has now trained its sights on the prime minister’s India visit.
Former Maoist minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara Monday warned the government that if it decided to take forward any controversial deal with India against their approval, they would oppose it.
Recently, India has shown keenness on expediting the Pancheswor multipurpose project, a 6,000 MW hydroelectric project that is the centrepiece of the controversial Mahakali Treaty signed between the two countries in 1996.
The Maoists want a review of the treaty. They are also opposed to the Nepal government signing an updated extradition treaty, trade treaty or new boundary agreement.
Given the Maoist opposition, the Nepal government would have a tough time trying to find any serious bilateral issue for discussion. Even if it does, the implementation of the agreement is bound to run into trouble.
The prime minister has indicated his limitations himself. He has pledged to keep national interest at the centre of all bilateral agreements with India and not to undertake any major venture without the consensus of the parliamentary parties back home.