Kathmandu: Accusing the Nepalese government of violating the ceasefire, the leader of Maoist rebels has warned that the continuing crackdown against the guerrillas and the delay in taking any "concrete" step by the government would mar the peace process.

"Mobilisation of security forces, checking the movement of the rebels and arrest of some of the rebels by the security forces breached the understanding reached during the ceasefire that status quo be maintained to facilitate the peace talks," Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda said in a statement.

"The government has arrested members of the People's Army and seized their arms from various parts of the country," the statement said.

"This is violation of the ceasefire," Prachanda said.

The Nepalese government and the Maoists declared a ceasefire on January 29.

The delay by the government, Prachanda claimed, in taking any concrete, positive step even a month after the ceasefire, "is creating suspicion".

"But our political will and commitment to fight for the people until the end has not diminished."

The government and the Maoists are reported to have finalised code of conduct to facilitate peace talks. However, the agreement has not been made public.

Meanwhile, the Army rejected the Maoist leader's demand to hand back the arms recovered from rebels saying they would "not allow rebels to move around carrying arms".

"They have looted the arms from us and the arms belong to us," Army spokesman Colonel Deepak Gurung told reporters.

PTI