Monday, February 7 2005 10:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Dehra Dun/New Delhi: Fearing crackdown following annexation of all powers by Nepal monarch Gyanendra, a number of senior political leaders and activists from Nepal have slipped into Uttaranchal, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand causing concern.

Nepali Congress leader and MP from Baitari district of Nepal Vinay Dhwaj Chand and former Education Minister Dilendra Bahadur have taken shelter in the houses of their relatives residing in Banbasa area of Champawat District of Uttaranchal, a report from Dehra Dun said.

Many student leaders and other workers have also reached Pihoragarh district, police said.

But what has caused concern to central security agencies is the sneaking of some cadres of Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) into West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand where they could indulge in extortion and get into clashes with naxal groups.

According to a report submitted by the agencies to the Home Ministry, CPN cadres had slipped through the porous Indo-Nepal border and would be now engaged in extortion racket in Jharkhand and Bihar.

The presence of CPN cadres has the potential to spark bloody clashes with MCC and PWG (People's War Group), which are already operating in the two States and are engaged in extortion rackets, informed sources said.

In fact, there have already been some reports of clashes between CPN and MCC but have not turned ugly so far.