Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist that split the UCPN (Maoist) in June submitted the demand to Prime Minister Bhattarai at his office in Singha Durbar on Monday. [break]A CPN-Maoist team lead by Vice Chairman CP Gajurel submitted the list of their demands prepared by the party´s central committee meeting held recently.
CPN-M leader Dev Gurung had read out the demands to the prime minister before handing them over. “We told him that we have added 30 points in the 40-point demands he submitted to then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba,” Gajurel told media persons.
However, the prime minister, according to Gajurel said some of the demands were propaganda and that they could not be fulfilled. “He did not even make commitment to fulfill our demands,” he said.
Prime minister said that the government had not made any decision to give the managements of various 15 airports including Tribhuvan International Airport to any Indian companies. The prime minister had also asked Gajurel not to run after the baseless rumor on the matter.
The Maoist along with CPN-Maoist leaders had launched armed insurgency after 40-point demands Bhattarai submitted to then government as coordinator of Samyukta Janamorcha on February 4, 1996 were not met. “It is obviously not good and pleasant moment to submit the same demands to a person as prime minister who submitted these demands to then government 17 years ago,” Gajurel said.
Gajurel argued that they were forced to submit the demands as nine-month long government led by Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and 12-month long government-led by Bhattarai did not show any sign to implement those demands.
Prime Minister Bhattarai is probably the first person who could get chance to receive the same set of demands in his capacity as prime minister which he submitted to the then head of the government. “This could be a rare scene in the world politics to present the demands submitted by someone to himself after reaching to the powers,” said CPN-M Secretary Netra Bikram Chand.
Among other things, the 70-point demand including scrapping 1950 treaty between Nepal and India, BIPPA between India and Nepal, rooting out corruption in all sectors of society and banning Indian number plate vehicles in Nepal.
The CPN-Maoist has also announced nationwide general strikes on September 14 to exert pressure on the government to meet their demands while student organizations have separately announced strikes on September 12, according to Dilip Prajapati.
The CPN-Maoist had staged a rally that walked past from Shanti Batika to Putali Sadak, Anam Nagar and Hanumansthan before submitting to the demands to the prime minister.
CPN-Maoist leaders, who reached southern entrance of Singha Durbar to submit their demands, were ferried by police in their vehicle to Prime Minister´s Office. The prime minister had attentively listened to their 70-point demands when Dev Gurung read them out.
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