Tuesday, February 8 2005 13:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Siliguri (WB): The Nepali Congress has decided to launch a movement within the next two weeks with all democratic political parties and even ready to join hands with the Maoists to put an end to the monarchy in the Himalayan kingdom, the party's central committee member Krishna Prasad Sitoula said in Siliguri today (Feb 08, 2005).

But the Nepali Congress has a condition to tie up with the Maoists - they have to give up arms, Sitoula, who crossed over to India yesterday (Feb 07, 2005) to evade arrest in Nepal, said.

The King dismissed the democratic Government, took over power and promulgated emergency in the country at a time when the former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress chief Girija Prasad Koirala had almost finalised talks with the ultra-Left organisation to restore peace and normalcy in the country, Sitoula said and alleged that the King did not want to solve the Maoist problem.

Most leaders of the Nepali Congress were either arrested or under house arrest, he said and added only ten central committee members were still off the King's custody and most of them crossed over to India to mobilise support to their proposed movement against the monarchy.

A journalist, who also came to India through Panitanki border from Eastern Nepal, said on condition of anonymity that most newspaper offices were sealed and editors were hounded by the King's Army.

He urged the Press Club of North Bengal in Siliguri to raise their voice against oppressive measures on the media people and help restore freedom of the press.