SC instructions may jeopardize Prachanda’s political career 

Kathmandu: The Supreme Court’s order on Friday to allow a group of petitioners seeking trial of Prime Minister and Maoist Centre Chief, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, may in all likelihood, jeopardize his political career.

A division bench of the Supreme Court consisting of Ishwor Khatiwada and Hari Phuyal ordered that the criminal case filed against the Maoist supremo which the court administration had earlier refused to entertain, be proceeded further.

Petitioners Gyanendra Aran, Kalyan Budhathoki and others had filed a petition seeking trial of Prachanda on the basis of his public statement three years ago that he would take the responsibility of murder of five thousand people out of total 17,000 during the Maoist led insurgency.

The bench endorsed the petition which would mean that Prachanda’s political career and his current position as the Prime Minister of the country would be a subject of controversy after the petition is formally admitted by the court, most likely tomorrow.

In a public speech three years ago in Kathmandu, Prachanda had claimed that he was ready to take the responsibility of 5,000 murder during the decade of conflict (1996-2006).

Interestingly, the Supreme Court order against the decision of the court administration earlier comes in the wake of a much derided initiative by Gobinda Bandi a ‘human right lobbyist’ in the international forum to have all Maoist leaders absolved of the human right violation cases during the conflict.