Kathmandu: The Nepal Government on Saturday arrested the Maoist leader who led the attack on Indian priests and provided a personal security officer to the chief priest of the famous Pashupatinath shrine. The Nepalese Government has
also deployed an extra armed platoon of security forces in and around the shrine.
In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Vishnu Prakash
said: "The Nepal Government has told us that the ringleader of the attack has
been arrested and policemen have been posted outside the temple. The head priest
has also been given a personal security officer." Earlier in the day, speaking
to the media in Bangalore, External Affairs Minister, S.M. Krishna reacted strongly
to the attack on two Indian priests at the famous shrine in Kathmandu, and asked
the Nepal Government to ensure safety and security of the priests. Krishna also
said, "India shares historical bond with Nepal. In Kashi the priests from Nepal
perform the poojas and in Pashupatinath, the Indian priests. It is a tradition
being followed for centuries." " The Maoist elements in that country are pressurizing
the government and temple authorities against continuing the tradition," Krishna
added. Meanwhile, the Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Rakesh Sood took up the matter
with Nepal Home Minister Bhim Bahadur Rawal and Culture Minister Sarat Singh Bhandari
and registered strong protest against the attack on Saturday. It was reported
that, two priests -Girish Bhatt and Raghavendra Bhatt belonging to the Karnataka
-- were severely thrashed and their clothes and sacred thread cut by dozens of
Maoists on Thursday in Kathmandu. The priests were badly injured in the attack.
The police and temple authorities with the help of the locals rescued the priests
from the attackers, sources said.
