At a time when the Maoist hardliner faction has demanded Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's resignation over the cabinet decision to put on hold its previous decision on legalising war era land transactions, Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Friday claimed that the internal dispute was not so serious as to bring the government down.

Speaking to reporters after attending a training programme organised by the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Peasants Federation on Friday, Dahal said "minor disputes and differences are not new in the party" and that the government would not collapse because of the fresh dispute caused by the withdrawal of the decision to legalise the land transactions during the "people's war".

He further said the party had settled bigger disputes in the past and that the current dispute would also come to an end.

Referring to the decision of today's standing committee to take initiative for national consensus government, Dahal said dialogue had already started between the parties for formation of such a government. nepalnews.com