India concerned over crackdown in Nepal

Nepal's King Gyanendra arrested former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba, write Keshav Pradhan and Nilova Roy Chaudhury.

Nepal's King Gyanendra arrested former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and five other democratic leaders on Wednesday. India expressed its "deep concern," saying Deuba's arrest and other repressive acts by the king were "contrary to assurances given to" New Delhi.

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The crackdown is being seen as a major setback for India which had signalled its intention to resume arms supplies to Nepal on the understanding that Gyanendra would engage with the democratic parties.

The monarch also cocked a snook at the international community. The arrests come as the king ends a 10-day foreign tour where he pledged to restore democracy.

Voicing deep concern at Deuba's re-arrest, an MEA spokesman said: "We are concerned that the arrest and detention of political leaders, student leaders and workers of political parties continue, as do the restrictions on travel and movement of some academicians, human rights activists and students, contrary to assurances conveyed to us."

However, sources said that the supply of arms already agreed upon was likely to go ahead because India's primary concern was to tackle the Maoist insurgency that has links to its internal security concerns.

Police arrested Deuba at around 2 a.m., taking him away for questioning on financial deals undertaken during his rule. This followed Deuba's refusal to answer summons from the Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC), a body that he says has no constitutional validity.

After Deuba's arrest, police took five other political leaders into custody. Three ex-ministers of GP Koirala's Nepali Congress — Ramsharan Mahat and Chakra Prasad Bastola and Dil Bahadur Gharti. They also arrested two leaders of the CPN-UML — Subhas Nembang and Raghuji Pant.

King Gyanendra set up the RCCC after the royal coup of February 1 and gave it sweeping powers to try and punish anyone on the basis of information provided by any individual. Most democratic parties describe it as a move by the palace to harass them.

Deuba had earlier spent 50 days in detention after the royal coup.

Security personnel made the arrest during darkness to avoid media personnel and possible resistance by Deuba's followers. The police came to Deuba's house around midnight and severed telephone and electricity lines. When told to return in the morning, they reportedly threatened to break down the door.

Deuba's wife, Arzoo, a relative of Queen Komal, told HT: "All this shows how dangerous is the mentality of the people behind the current regime. The arrest was carried out in an ugly and dastardly manner."

Members of Deuba's Nepali Congress (Democratic) shouted slogans outside the RCCC office while the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), part of the Deuba government, described his arrest " unconstitutional."

Observers say Gyanendra may have been emboldened following reports that New Delhi had decided to roll back its sanctions after China and Pakistan had offered to provide Nepal arms. The palace seems to have interpreted this to mean India is prepared to sacrifice the democratic process for geopolitical considerations.