[Reader-list] Maoists have outraged Hindus: Nepal Minister

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

*PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE ROW*


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 Maoists have outraged Hindus: Nepal Minister
*CNN-IBN<http://ibnlive.in.com/news/agency/CNN-IBN/>

Link -
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/maoists-have-hurt-hindu-sentiments-nepal-minister/81919-2.html
*

*New Delhi:* Nepal's Foreign Minister has blamed his Maoist allies for the
removal of Indian priests at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu and
accused Prime Minister Prachanda of not punishing the people who stormed the
shrine on Thursday.

Workers of the Young Communist League (YCL), the youth wing of the ruling
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), on Thursday defied court orders and
appointed their own priests at the temple in place of Indian priests who
claim they have been conducting rituals at the shrine for 300 years.

"The Prime Minister and his cadres YCL are responsible for this. This is
against Hinduism and this is against Hindu sentiment," Foreign Minister
Upendra Yadav told CNN-IBN from Kathmandu.

"This is an anti-religious move. They are trying to capture the
Pashupatinath temple and disturb religious activities." Yadav accused the
Maoists of bringing politics into a "religious matters".

"We condemn and criticise this. Protests are going on against Maoist
activities," he said.

The dispute at the temple began in December 2008 with three Indian priests
submitting their resignation under pressure, allegedly from the Maoist
government, and the Pashupatinath Area Development Trust (PADT) appointing
two Nepali priests.

Nepal's Supreme Court ordered a stay on the PADT order after aides of the
Indian priests filed a petition, alleging that the trust had overridden all
procedures to make political appointments.

Devotees, for the first time in the history of the temple, were unable to
offer worship on January 1 because of the controversy, which now may
snowball into a diplomatic dispute between India and Nepal because of the
Maoist youth wing's action.

Nepal's former king Gyanendra, who was the patron of the temple, has urged
that issue not be politicised. "I appeal all not to politicise the current
Pashupatinath Temple issue and maintain the religious harmony for which
Nepal is adored the world over" said the former monarch in a statement
issued on Sunday.