"What happened was not good, but the government led by our own party should not be put in a difficult situation. So I ask your opinion on the issue," a Standing Committee member quoted Dahal as saying at the beginning of the meeting.[break]
The bilateral agreement was signed during the India visit of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, who is also party vice-chairman.
The party´s radical faction, led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya, has accused Bhattarai of signing the "anti-national" BIPPA against the party´s mandate. The radicals had greeted Bhattarai with black flags upon his arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport Sunday.
At the meeting on Tuesday, party leaders Barshaman Pun and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi defended Bhattarai. "BIPPA is crucial for rapid economic development. So it should not be misconstrued," one party leader quoted Pun as saying.
But Baidya, CP Gajurel, Netra Bikram Chand and Dev Gurung lambasted Bhattarai for signing the agreement. "It is anti-national and would promote Indian monopoly in the Nepali economy," another leader quoted Chand as saying.
As the meeting was inconclusive, the Standing Committee members agreed not to share the meeting´s differences with other party leaders or with the media.
"We will continue the meeting on Wednesday," Chand told reporters after the meeting.
CARTOON: RAJESH KC
There were two agenda items for the meeting: BIPPA and integration and rehabilitation of the 19,000-plus Maoist combatants languishing in 28 cantonments.
All the 16 members of the committee put forward their views Tuesday, and the meeting on Wednesday will also take up both BIPPA and integration issues.
The party radicals have accused the establishment faction of disarming the party´s PLA in handing over the weapons container keys to the Special Committee, instead of pressing for integration into the security forces in a dignified manner.
The Standing Committee is also supposed to set the agenda for the Central Committee meeting slated for Nov 3.
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