Dahal says campaign against Dhungel bid to disrupt peace process

UCPN-Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal has defended party leader and murder-convict Bal Krishna Dhungel, and said that protests demanding his arrest were aimed at disrupting the peace process.

In a statement on Thursday, Dahal said human rights activists were trying to disrupt the peace process in the name of a 'civil movement'.

"The party's serious attention has been drawn towards the protests," he added referring to the Occupy Baluwatar movement, which has been demanding Dhungel's arrest.

As part of the Occupy Baluwatar movement, members of the general public had been staging protests outside the Prime Minister's official residence demanding action against perpetrators of violence against women. Recently, the movement took up the case of Maoist leader Dhungel, who still not behind bars even after was convicted of murdering Ujjan Shrestha of Okhaldhunga

The news comes a few days after the movement said that Maoist cadres in the guise of 'People's Rights forum' staged a sit-in outside the PM's residence just before Occupy Baluwater campaigners were due to do the same. nepalnews.com