Prachanda warns India on security before visit

KATHMANDU: On the eve of his four-day visit to India, Unified CPN-Maoist chief Prachanda has warned that Nepal would not address its giant neighbour's security concerns if New Delhi did not help in development of the Himalayan nation.

"I will raise the issue of Nepal's economic development during my India visit. If India doesn't cooperate, we too won't help address their security concerns," he was quoted as saying by a national daily here.

India's 1,800 km-long open border with Nepal poses serious security fears due to influx of illegal arms, drugs, terrorists and fake Indian currency notes from Pakistan.

Prachanda, 59, will be accompanied on his visit by his wife Sita Dahal and two personal aides, according to party sources.

Prachanda is visiting India shortly after returning from a week-long visit to China, where he had important meetings with high-level Chinese officials and political leaders including President Xi Jinping and sought help for economic development of his country.

Besides economic cooperation, Prachanda will also seek India's support for conducting Constituent Assembly elections due in June, to draft a new constitution, Dinanath Sharma, standing committee member of the party told PTI.

"We need the support from both India and China for conducting the elections. UCPN-Maoist is committed to multiparty competitive democracy," he added.

Prachanda will call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and senior leaders of the opposition parties during the visit, he said.

The visit will mainly focus on expanding economic ties with India, Sharma said.

The Maoist chief known for his anti-India rhetoric, "will also try to clear past mis-understandings with the southern neighbour", Sharma said.

After the dissolution of the constituent assembly last May, Nepal had plunged into serious political and constitutional crisis as political parties failed to agree on a constitution.

The political deadlock was broken last month with Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi's appointment as the country's new Prime Minister to head an interim government that will hold elections to the 601-member constituent assembly in June.