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ShareKathmandu: Nepal Maoists today said the party was ready to launch protests from tomorrow to dislodge the government in a dispute with the president over the reinstatement of the former army chief.
CP Gajurel, a top leader of the UCPN-Maoist, today said they had not announced protests only to call them off. He said the party would make the government stand trial in the people's court.
Even as underlining that the Maoist protests will be peaceful, he said if the government tried to impose force on them, they would retaliate, The Himalayan Times newspaper reported.
Speaking to reporters in Simara Airport, Gajurel said the government had ignored their attempts to come to a consensus through dialogue. It had compelled them to go ahead with the protest.
Maoists' leader Prachanda, who formed Nepal's first post-royal government last year, had to step down after the president overruled his attempt to fire the the army chief.
"From Monday we will launch our nationwide protest by surrounding government offices all over the country with thousands of our supporters," Dev Gurung, another Maoist leader told the media.
The Maoists have vowed to picket all government offices at village and district level and plan a blockade of the capital, shutting the country's only international airport and blocking all the highways to the capital on November 10.
The former rebels want to force the government to correct the president Yadav's controversial decision to reinstate General Rukmangad Katawal, who has now retired.
The Maoists had earlier demanded that the government build a consensus to discuss the dispute in Parliament.
Prachanda told party activists that they would turn their movement into a people's movement if their demands were not met.
Party leaders said they were prepared to tackle the Nepali Army if it were mobilised against them. "We are ready to face any force if the government tries to suppress our peaceful movement," a top Maoist leader said.
Amid fears of violence prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal today directed the chiefs of security agencies to remain on high alert.
Nepal met the chiefs of Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department at his official residence to review the law and order situation and security arrangements to face the Maoist protests.
The government has asked the Maoists to withdraw their protest plans and engage in dialogue to find a consensus to end the deadlock.
The UN secretary general has expressed concern over the failure of the political parties to break the deadlock stalling Nepal's peace process as the Maoists prepare for a massive protest.
UN general secretary Ban ki-Moon expressed doubts over the drafting of Nepal's new constitution by March / May, the timeframe set by the political parties to frame the document as required by the landmark 2006 peace process.
