'Although the real Ayodhya lies at Thori in the west of Birgunj, India has claimed the Indian site as the birthplace of Lord Ram'
While there is no change in the strength of the Modi-led CCPA over its two tenures, what has changed is its profile.
Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on Saturday resigned even as Parliament prepares to elect a new premier tomorrow after parties failed to forge a consensus amid continued protests and blockade of a key border trade point with India over the country's new Constitution.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's special envoy Shyam Saran started hectic parleys with Nepalese leaders on Thursday to help form a consensus government amidst deepening political crisis in Katmandu.
60-year-old Khanal, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist), secured 368 of the 557 votes cast in the 601-member Parliament, the speaker announced.
Waving red flags, 5000 militant cadres forced their way into the Durbar Square city centre where their chief Prachanda declared Kathmandu valley as the Newa Autonomous State.
The Unified CPN-Maoist that had been singing anti-India tune and blaming the Nepal Army for the stalled peace process has now changed its course and blasted on "spirits and ghosts" for hatching conspiracy against the Maoists.
With Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' resigning over the issue of sacking of the army chief Gen Rookmangud Katawal, the land-locked country plunged into street protests and strikes affecting business. Strike in the Tarai region, the lifeline of Nepal, has hampered businesses heavily.
With Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' resigning over the issue of sacking of the army chief Gen Rookmangud Katawal, the land-locked country plunged into street protests and strikes affecting business. Strike in the Tarai region, the lifeline of Nepal, has hampered businesses heavily.
Maoist activist and economist Chandra Kanta Poudyal has been named as Nepal's new ambassador to India, a post which has been lying vacant since the formation of the new government in the country.
Bowing to intense pressure from Hindu groups and political parties both at home and abroad, Nepal's Maoist government on Wednesday reversed its decision to replace the Indian priests at the Himalayan country's most revered Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu with the local Brahmins. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Prachanda during a special address to Parliament telecast live by the state-run television.
Nepalese opposition leader Girija Prasad Koirala has asked Prime Minister Prachanda to run the government with consensus of all the stakeholders, and said his talks with the Indian leaders revolved around this and dismissed reports that he sought New Delhi's help to oust the Maoists-led ministry.
The Communist Party of Nepal Maoist, which emerged victorious in the recent Constituent Assembly polls, decided on Wednesday that the next government should be under its leadership and that party chairman Prachanda' would head the government. The meeting reaffirmed the abolition of monarchy and implementation of republic in the country and concluded to form a coalition government and continue consensus with other parties.
We can expect to see more Chinese wolf warrior diplomats on the prowl, in India's neighbourhood, though its mailed fist is not so visible while dealing with India, observes Colonel R Hariharan (retd).
There were rumours of the army going for a coup, but for now it does not appear to be so. But the conditions for a civil war exist. If the Maoists decide to take to the streets to counter the rallies and demonstrations of the opposition parties there will be violence. If violence escalates, the army could intervene.
Maoist ministers in the interim multi-party government in Nepal on Thursday resigned en masse in an apparent bid to pressurise Prime Minister G P Koirala to quit and allow formation of a new administration led by the former rebels.
Ending a political deadlock, Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Saturday invited the Maoists to form a government, more than a month after they emerged as the biggest party in the Constituent Assembly polls.
The proposed China visit of Oli, who took over as prime minister in October, is in marked contrast to the usual practice the new prime ministers of Nepal follow. Most of the Nepalese premiers have visited India, ahead of China.
Notorious 'bikini killer' Charles Shobhraj, who is serving a life term in a prison in Kathmandu for the murder of an American tourist, has now approached the former rebel Maoists, seeking 'justice and protection'. In similar letters written to Maoist chief Prachanda, second-in-command Baburam Bhattarai and his wife Hisila Yami, who is also the Physical Planning and Works Minister, the French national has alleged that he was being ill-treated in the Central Jail.
India favours a national unity government in Nepal and is ready to renegotiate the 1950 treaty
Nepal's Maoist leaders have suggested a referendum to decide the fate of the monarchy if the country is not declared a republic through parliament. Maoist chairman Prachanda and his deputy Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai, recommended a referendum to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala during their meeting on Sunday.
Maoists tried to extort Rs 10 million from a hotelier, who refused and was beaten up.
Nineteen parties in the Parliament have already confirmed that they will be voting in favour of the no-confidence motion.
"I don't think there's any change. There's no change in their status," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, commenting on the issue in the backdrop of a meeting between a top American envoy in Kathmandu Nancy Powell and Maoist leader Prachanda.
"Our past policy towards the 1950 treaty remains unchanged, we want to scrap that treaty and replace it with a new one in the changed context," Maoist chairman Prachanda told as the former rebels were poised to head a new government. "We also want to review all other treaties signed between Nepal and India," the 54-year-old former school teacher said.
Out of the 73 results declared so far, CPN-Maoists bagged 43 seats, CPN-UML - 12, Nepali Congress of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala - 10, Madhesi People's Rights Forum - 5, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party - 2 and Terai Madhesh Democratic Party - 1. Determined to abolish the 240-year-old monarchy, Maoists in Nepal on Sunday emerged as the surprise single biggest gainers in the early results for the key Constituent Assembly polls,while several political heavyweights lost
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's daylong "goodwill" visit to Nepal on July 9 will give him an opportunity to meet top functionaries of its interim election government as well as the leaders of the main political parties.
According to the Constitution, which has 167 articles, all executive powers as well as those enjoyed by the King in the previous Constitution, now vest upon the prime minister.
The peace talks between the government and the Maoists, which were postponed about a month ago, will resume in Kathmandu on Monday.
'The redrawing of the map with the inclusion of Kalapani area by Nepal and endorsement from the House of Representatives shows the KP Oli government's move to gain cheap popularity in the name of nationalism'
The government issued a circular that all government offices, schools and colleges will be closed to celebrate the historic peace accord that aims to put an end to the insurgency that claimed 15,000 lives.
The policemen left two separate letters from the Ministry of Information and Communications at the radio station, one asking the station to stop operation until further notice and the other asking to handover transmission equipment, the report said.
Nepal on Friday recalled its ambassador to India over charges of non-cooperation and indulging in anti-government activities.
The draft agreement was struck on November 8 and had been due to be signed last week but was postponed as both sides said some issues still had to be resolved. A Tuesday deadline was then set.
'By treating Nepali politicians as shabby buffoons to be pampered one day and collared another day, India badly exposed itself.' 'A belief got entrenched in the Nepalese mind that we are a dangerous neighbour,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The Communists would support the Opposition groups ``as much as possible,'' rebel leader Prachanda said in a statement sent to news organisations. It was not clear if he was offering armed support.
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