Their common agenda was to destabilise peace, democracy and the political set-up through insurgency and violence in both countries, Pandey said.
Ramon Magsaysay winner Anshu Gupta, whose non-governmental organisation Goonj has been leading the relief efforts in Nepal which was ravaged by a devastating quake in April this year, speaks to Ankita Mishra.
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.
"The Prime Minister's unilateral move to conduct fresh election by allowing to dissolve the most representative Constituent Assembly was aimed at capturing power and this has created frustration in the minds of the general public," said a joint statement issued by five parties.
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.
The exit of CPN-UML may not immediately affect the Prachanda-led government, which is supported by the Nepali Congress which has 89 lawmakers in the House.
'Royal Nepal Army will be made national army'
King Gyanendra Monday held talks with former prime ministers of Nepal.
Nursing "serious suspicions" on India's role in Nepal's political process, Maoist leader Prachanda has said the Indian establishment had failed to "grasp the verdict" of the historic 2008 election and he is keen to discuss his concerns with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The turning point in his career was undoubtedly Nepal where he was sent as ambassador and acted with a cool head.
The incident took place at Kurumahat in Hansdiha police station area, around 300 km from the state capital Ranchi, on Friday night when a tourist couple from Spain was spending the night at a makeshift tent.
Nepal's dethroned king Gyanendra remains concerned over the instability in the country, and is ready to obey the people "if they choose to restore the monarchy".
The film was criticised heavily for its pedestrian language upon its release last month.
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.
Nepal's President Ram Baran Yadav has directed Army Chief Gen Rukmangad Katawal, sacked by Prime Minister Prachanda, to continue in office in a face-off between the two leaders that threatens to escalate the political crisis and derail the peace process.
"The lifting of the emergency is a first step towards the beginning of a political process in that country," a Ministry of External Affairs spokesman said.
India has planned to invite leaders from across the spectrum, including Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai, foreign minister Sujata Koirala, former army chief Rookmangud Katawal, as well as Maoist military commander Barshaman Pun 'Ananta', to sit around the same conference table in New Delhi this week.
Even if the BJP gets 60, 70, or even 100 per cent of the votes in the seats where it scored more than 50 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, these will still add up to only 224 seats, argues Shekhar Gupta.
Six months after Nepal was devastated by a massive earthquake, relief efforts are literally running out of steam as weeks of protests against a new constitution have led to a critical shortage of fuel. Naomi Mihara reports on how NGOs are racing against time to reach aid to the people before winter sets in.
'When democracy first came to Bhutan people had no idea and they were like 'What is that?' Oh it's that thing they have in India where the leaders are always fighting and arguing.' When I screened the film to Bhutan's film committee, they thought my film was good but they were concerned about that line. They wanted me to change that line. They said, 'We don't want to offend India.' I tried to tell them that Indians have a great ability to laugh at themselves but they insisted I change it.'
Amid the political limbo over government formation, Indian-origin Madhesi leader Ram Baran Yadav was sworn-in as the first President of the nascent republic of Nepal on Wednesday, three days after his victory in the historic poll for the coveted post.
Mukherjee said the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including economic and commercial cooperation, was reviewed during the the meeting.
The comments by MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at a media briefing came following a question on a report that India Delhi held its first political dialogue with NATO in December 2019.
Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi was on Thursday sworn-in as Nepal's new prime minister to head an interim government that will hold elections in three months, ending a long political deadlock 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.
With neighbourhood being the priority of his foreign policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Nepal on Sunday on a two-day visit during which the two countries are expected to sign agreements in sectors like power and India may announce economic aid.
A day before the declaration of abolition of monarchy, the Maoists in Nepal agreed to the provision of a ceremonial president with executive powers to prime minister. Initially, the Maoists wanted a presidential system and a ceremonial prime minister. However, other major political parties--Nepali Congress and UML-- wanted the prime minister with executive powers and a ceremonial president.
Bhutan firmly abides by the one-China principle meaning Taiwan and Tibet are part of China and stands ready to work with China for an early settlement of the boundary issue and advance the political process of establishing diplomatic relations, it said.
Thousands of people fled to India to stay away from the polls.
The Seven Party Alliance, which has been at the centrestage of the democratic movement in Nepal and was instrumental in the transition of the nation from a monarchy to a republic, is virtually defunct. The Himalayan nation is witnessing a new round of political alignments and re-alignments with the CPN-UML joining hands with the CPN-Maoists, leaving behind the Nepali Congress.The UML and Maoists have reached an agreement to seek consensus with other parties on amendments.
53-year-old Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda was administered the oath of office by President Ram Baran Yadav during a function at the Rastrapati Bhawan in Kathmandu.
Top leaders of Nepal's major political parties have met over two days in an attempt to arrive at a consensus, but the discussions were inconclusive. Another round of meetings and discussions are due to be held over the weekend before the constituent assembly meets on April 23, says Shubha Singh
