Baidya faction dubs PLA handover as 'surrender'

CP Gajurel (File photo)

The Mohan Baidya faction of the UCPN (Maoist) has described the decision of the Army Integration Special Committee (AISC) to hand over the PLA combatants to Nepal Army as 'surrender' and that it would protest against it.

"This is an unfortunate moment in history. This is not integration...this is a surrender," C.P Gajurel, party secretary and a key leader of the hardliner faction, told Avenues TV. He added, "What is being done is disarmament of the PLA. We don't see any integration taking place. This is merely a regular recruitment in the army."

"The signing of the seven-point agreement had come as a signal that the our party's leadership is going to surrender," the hardliner Maoist leader said, accusing party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai of compromising party's position one after another.

Gajurel was speaking as Nepal Army troops started moving to the cantonments to take charge following the AISC decision.

In the wake of protests by the discharged disqualified combatants, who are supported by some voluntarily retired combatants supporting Baidya faction, a meeting of the AISC held in the presence of the top leaders of the three major parties today decided to hand over the combatants and their weapons to the NA.

Maoist chairman Dahal had proposed the deployment of the army to the cantonments during a meeting of the three parties earlier today. The Maoist party establishment has accused the Baidya faction of trying to disrupt the integration process. nepalnews.com