Kathmandu: Security has been beefed up in
Nepal ahead of a massive rally planned by the Maoists here on
May 1 to dislodge the "puppet" government of Prime Minister
Madhav Kumar Nepal amid fears that the former rebels have
intensified efforts to train their cadres to launch a new
offensive.
The Maoists are planning a major rally to demand the
ouster of 22-party coalition government, calling it a "puppet"
regime.
They have threatened to bring millions of people for
the rally, coinciding with the International Labour Day.
The government has directed security agencies to work
in an integrated manner to bolster law and order situation in
the country, Nepalese media reported.
The directives comes in the wake of the main
opposition party providing military training to its cadres in
preparation of what they call decisive war to topple the
government.
An informal meeting of the cabinet ministers held at
the Prime Minister`s official residence directed the chiefs
Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation
Department to jointly develop strategies and plans to deal
with the upcoming Maoist protests.
The meeting also asked the Maoists to withdraw their
protest programmes.
According to Prime Minister`s press adviser Bishnu
Rijal, the cabinet meetings took up the issue of the Maoist
training to its cadre very seriously.
"The cabinet meetings on Wednesday and Thursday took
up the issue seriously and the government will make public its
official view in the matter soon," he told agency.
Meanwhile, the Maoists have intensified military
training to their cadres. They were planning to train 11,000
cadres in Jhapa district alone, according to the Kathmandu
Post.
Ahead of the rally, walls in capital Kathmandu
adorn posters and paintings against India and fear has been
raised that the rally would further fan anti-India sentiments.
PTI
