Prachanda says deputy is Indian stooge

The bid by opposition Maoists in Nepal to restore ‘civilian supremacy’ seems to have hit an internal roadblock with differences between party’s two senior most leaders coming to the fore.

Updated on: Jan 7, 2010, 01:23:00 IST

None | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

The bid by opposition Maoists in Nepal to restore ‘civilian supremacy’ seems to have hit an internal roadblock with differences between party’s two senior most leaders coming to the fore.

Last week, Chairman of UCPN (Maoist) Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ said that his deputy Baburam Bhattarai is trying to become country’s next prime minister with India’s help.

He had stated that Bhattarai’s name is being repeatedly proposed by India as the next prime minister in order to play on the party’s internal differences.

Without naming anyone Bhattarai termed the remark as an attempt to assassinate his character. Although Prachanda claimed that there were no differences among UCPN (M) leaders and Bhattarai too expressed unhappiness with the media for highlighting the issue, the damage had been done.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia and US Iran war Live, get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times.