I did not blame India for ex-king's murder: Prachanda

Shirish B Pradhan
Kathmandu, Jan 10 (PTI) Nepal's Maoist supremo
Prachanda, who has steeped up anti-India rhetorics since he
resigned as the Prime Minister, Sunday dismissed media reports
that he had blamed New Delhi for the murder of former King
Birendra and communist leader Madan Bhandari.
Nepal's former king Birendra was killed along with
most of the royal family in the 2001 palace massacre by the
then crown prince Dipendra, who was allegedly fuelled by a
cocktail of drugs and alcohol.
Bhandari died in 1993 in a road accident in mysterious
manner.
Prachanda dismissed reports that he had blamed India
for the death of the former monarch and Bhandari.
"I did not blame India for the murders," Prachanda
told reporters Sunday.
The Maoist mouthpiece had reported Prachanda saying
during a programme Saturday that Birendra and Bhandari were
killed by "expansionist forces" as they tried to defend
national independence and maintain civilian supremacy.
Prachanda dismissed the media report saying it had
misquoted his remarks.
Last month, Prachanda had blamed India's "naked
interference" for the deepening political crisis in Nepal. He
had described the 22-party coalition led by Madhave Kumar
Nepal as a "puppet government" controlled from New Delhi.
Political tensions have been high in Nepal since a
government led by the Maoist resigned last May amid a dispute
with President Ram Baran Yadav, who reinstated General
Rukmangad Katawal, the then Army Chief dismissed by Maoists
Prime Minister Prachanda. PTI SBP
ANU