Shortly after the standing committee meeting of the UCPN (Maoist) was held this afternoon, SC member Netra Bikram Chand who is close to vice chairman Mohan Baidya, said they didn’t boycott the meeting but were excluded instead.

The hardliner leaders led by Baidya were absent in the meeting today called to discuss the latest dispute regarding handover of the keys of the arm containers to Army Integration Special Committee (AISC).

Speaking at a programme in Kathmandu, Chand claimed that they didn’t attend the meeting because even general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa, who is responsible for calling the meeting, was not invited.

Saying that nationwide Chakka jam (traffic obstruction) called by them was just a symbolic protest against the handover of the keys to AISC, he warned that the decision would seriously harm the Maoist party.

Leader Chand also claimed that the keys were handed over against the decision of the party. nepalnews.com