Prachanda

Kathmandu, Jan. 7: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda, today withdrew his controversial decision to replace south Indian priests at Pashupatinath temple, Nepal’s holiest shrine, with Nepalis.

Prachanda announced the decision in the Constituent Assembly this evening, after a week of protests by Indian leaders and parties at home. He said he had asked the Indian Bhatta priests, fired by his Maoist-led government last week, to resume duties and rituals.

“I have restored status quo ante from this evening. I have asked the previous Mul Bhatta (chief priest) to resume traditional duties,” Dahal told the lawmakers.

Protests against the replacement of Indians had threatened to snowball into a major agitation, led by the Nepali Congress and local pro-Hindu groups. The Prime Minister told the Assembly his government would abide by the ruling of the Supreme Court, which had stayed the appointment of Nepalese priests.

Indian politicians, including the BJP’s L.K. Advani, had also urged Prachanda to rescind his earlier decision. Advani spoke to him last evening and complained about the “shabby and unprovoked treatment” of the Indian priests. A BJP release said Prachanda had assured Advani he would soon make a statement restoring status quo.

Today, Prachanda told actress and Rajya Sabha MP Shabana Azmi, visiting Nepal as a Saarc goodwill ambassador on HIV/AIDS, that he would abide by the Supreme Court’s decision.