(Update III)
KATHMANDU, Nov 16: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal was slapped by a man at a tea reception organized by his party in Exhibition Road on Friday afternoon. The man slapped the chairman after shaking hands with him.
The man was immediately arrested by police and taken to Nepal Police Club, Bhrikutimandap for interrogation.
The attacker sustained injuries after he was assaulted by youth cadres of the party following the attack. He is reported to be undergoing treatment at Birendra Police Hospital.
The irate party cadres even obstructed the road demanding stern action against the culprit.
According to RSS, the state news agency, the man has been identified as Padam Kunwar of Rajkot, Baglung.
Attack on chairman is height of conspiracy: Maoists
(RSS)
An emergency meeting of the senior leaders of UCPN (Maoist) party held on Friday concluded that the attack on party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ´Prachanda´ was pre-planned and a conspiracy.
The meeting also concluded that the attack against Chairman Dahal was a conspiracy against peace and the constitution.
The meeting held at Chairman Dahal´s Lazimpat residence concluded that the man responsible for the act and identified as Padam Kunwar may have been mobilized in a pre-planned manner, said UCPN (Maoist) Spokesperson Agni Sapkota.
"We have taken this incident very seriously, and a thorough investigation would be carried out with a special initiative on behalf of the Government", he said.
Information received about the attacker Kunwar from his home district in Baglung was also shared and discussed at the meeting.
A decision has been taken to investigate the incident of attack against the party chairman on behalf of the party and a special investigation on behalf of the government too, said the Prime Minister´s political advisor, Devendra Poudel.
Home Ministry forms probe committee
(RSS)
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has formed a three-member investigation committee led by AIGP Nawaraj Dhakal to investigate into the incident that took place during the tea reception hosted by the UCPN (Maoist) party today.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) Keshav Bahadur Khatri and SSP Devendra Subedi are other members of the committee that has been given a week´s time to complete its task.
´CPN-Maoist not behind Dahal attack´
(RSS)
The CPN-Maoist party has said that it was not involved in anyway in the attack that took place against UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal at the tea reception hosted by the UCPN (Maoist) in the capital on Friday.
Talking to reporters following a meeting of the party at its headquarters in Buddhanagar today, Maoist party Secretary Netra Bikram Chand described the incident as ´unfortunate´ and termed the expressions linking his party with the incident as ´emotional and prejudiced´.
"Our party does not need to indulge in such acts. Efforts are being made to disturb the atmosphere by spreading rumours", he said.
He also condemned the statement from the UCPN (Maoist) side that a member of the Youth People´s Volunteer Bureau was involved in it. Chand is In-charge of the Bureau.
Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML have condemned the manhandling of UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and termed the act as a wrong trend.
Talking to RSS, NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel said the attack against Dahal was an effort to spoil the political culture and said all should discourage such acts, while also calling for an investigation into the incident.
Likewise, Chief of the Publicity Department of the CPN-UML Yubaraj Gyawali said the serial attacks on the political leaders were condemnable, when many civilized and democratic means were available to express one´s dissatisfaction, if any.
Though such acts could be individual or voluntary, a serious probe of such incidents must be made and special attention should be paid to the security of the leaders, he added.
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