“Around 200 workers gathered at the party office gate spontaneously after they came to know about the threats against our leader,” said union leader Hom Subedi, who is close to Bhattarai. [break]They demanded that the party leadership sweep into action to check “criminal activities in the party being perpetrated under the veneer of politics”.
“The top leadership must take action against the criminals who are active under the guise of politics, and must ensure the safety of the party rank and file,” said Subedi who led the picketing.
On Monday, Bhattarai reportedly received death threat from a group of trade unionists close to former chief of the All Nepal Trade Union Federation Salikram Jammakattel.
Bhattarai´s aides claimed that they overheard the unionists from Jammakattel faction making plans to make an attempt on Bhattarai´s life.
After Bhattarai knew about the incident, he immediately telephoned party General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa and Home Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, asking them to take action against the guilty.
Maoist trade union faction has split vertically into three factions - led by Dahal, Baidya and Bhattarai, respectively. Jammakattel faction, which is close to Dahal, has been involved in a number of assaults on supporters of Baidya and Dahal factions.
Party shocked at the revelation
In its press statement issued on Tuesday, UCPN (Maoist) stated that the party is shocked after the revelation of the plan to assassinate party Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai.
“The shocking revelation of the plot to assassinate Dr Baburam Bhattarai, hatched by some anarchic and wayward elements, has saddened us and made us alert,” states a statement undersigned by party Spokesperson Dinanath Sharma.
Condemning the “plot”, Sharma has thanked the security personnel and the members of the PLA who overheard the conversations about the plot and informed the party leadership immediately.
“The rise in anarchic and wayward activities in the party lately has made us doubt if the infiltration of the reactionary elements in the party has not taken a dangerous turn,” reads the statement.
The statement also said the party would prove the incident and bring the guilty to book.
Related story
UML on the verge of split as Oli faction warns of disciplinary...
