Days after India&#39;s chief investigative agency, the central bureau of investigation (CBI) levelled charges against seven policemen from the Chhattisgarh state police, the Raman Singh government has suspended the policemen.&nbsp;

The CBI had indicted the men for setting nearly 200 houses ablaze during the 2011 raids in Tadmetla village of Sukma district. The seven policemen have been charged with arson and causing grievous hurt. The agency had earlier submitted a status report to the Supreme Court of India.&nbsp;

An official government statement said, &quot;The DGP has issued directives for taking action of suspension and line attach as per the rules against the then eight special police officers of Dantewada and Sukma districts who have been charge-sheeted by the CBI in connection with the Tadmetla incident.&quot;

The policemen had blamed the Maoists in the forests of Sukma district (then part of Dantewada district) in the Bastar region of burning down the houses between March 11 and March 16, 2011.

But political parties in the state demanded the government to fix responsibility on senior police officers, on whose orders such operations are carried out.&nbsp;

Another investigation has been ordered following the recent October 24 protests during which a mob, allegedly including police personnel, burnt effigies of social activists and political leaders in Bastar.&nbsp;

Social activist Swami Agnivesh filed a petition, saying he was attacked by a mob while travelling to the villages with relief supplies. But the protesters argued that they were, in fact, fighting Maoists in the region and these allegations are being made by their &quot;sympathisers&quot;.

Villagers have often complained of human rights violations in the region.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The state government suspended seven policemen after the CBI accused them of setting fire to nearly 200 homes

Days after India's chief investigative agency, the central bureau of investigation (CBI) levelled charges against seven policemen from the Chhattisgarh state police, the Raman Singh government has suspended the policemen. The CBI had indicted the men for setting nearly 200 houses ablaze during the 2011 raids in Tadmetla village of Sukma district. The seven policemen have been charged with arson and causing grievous hurt. The agency had earlier submitted a status report to the Supreme Court of India. An official government statement said, "The DGP has issued directives for taking action of suspension and line attach as per the rules against the then eight special police officers of Dantewada and Sukma districts who have been charge-sheeted by the CBI in connection with the Tadmetla incident." The policemen had blamed the Maoists in the forests of Sukma district (then part of Dantewada district) in the Bastar region of burning down the houses between March 11 and March 16, 2011. But political parties in the state demanded the government to fix responsibility on senior police officers, on whose orders such operations are carried out. Another investigation has been ordered following the recent October 24 protests during which a mob, allegedly including police personnel, burnt effigies of social activists and political leaders in Bastar. Social activist Swami Agnivesh filed a petition, saying he was attacked by a mob while travelling to the villages with relief supplies. But the protesters argued that they were, in fact, fighting Maoists in the region and these allegations are being made by their "sympathisers". Villagers have often complained of human rights violations in the region. (WION with inputs from agencies)

2011 Sukma raids: India's Chhattisgarh state orders probe against policemen

The leader of Nepal&#39;s Maoist party appeared certain to be the next prime minister after the deadline for nominations expired on Tuesday with only his name on the ballot. 
 
Lawmakers in the Himalayan nation are due to elect a new prime minister on Wednesday after KP Sharma Oli resigned last week, minutes before facing a no-confidence motion in parliament. 
 
&quot;We have only received the nomination of Pushpa Kamal Dahal for the prime minister&#39;s post,&quot; deputy parliament spokesman Sudarshan Kuinkel told AFP, referring to the Maoist party leader. Dahal, better known by his nom de guerre Prachanda or &quot;the fierce one&quot;, led a decade-long Maoist insurgency before transforming the rebel movement into a political party after a 2006 peace deal. 
 
He has served as prime minister once before, after the Maoists won elections in 2009, but only lasted nine months in office before resigning.&nbsp;The party lost ground in the last elections in 2013 and is now only the third-biggest force in parliament. But neither of the two larger parties have enough seats to govern alone. 
 
Dahal secured the backing of the largest party, the Nepali Congress, after pulling out of Oli&#39;s coalition three weeks ago. If elected, Dahal faces the twin challenges of rebuilding the country after a devastating earthquake and resolving simmering unrest over a divisive new constitution adopted last September. 
 
Oli faced fierce criticism over his handling of protests against the charter, which triggered a months-long border blockade by demonstrators from the Madhesi ethnic minority. 
 
More than 50 people died in clashes between police and protesters, who say the constitution has left them marginalised. The new charter, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to bolster Nepal&#39;s transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability. 
 
But continuing discussions between the government and protesters over the constitution, particularly over the rights of marginalised communities, have failed to yield an&nbsp;agreement. 
 
(AFP)

He has served as prime minister once before, after the Maoists won elections in 2009, but resigned after nine months in office

The leader of Nepal's Maoist party appeared certain to be the next prime minister after the deadline for nominations expired on Tuesday with only his name on the ballot. Lawmakers in the Himalayan nation are due to elect a new prime minister on Wednesday after KP Sharma Oli resigned last week, minutes before facing a no-confidence motion in parliament. "We have only received the nomination of Pushpa Kamal Dahal for the prime minister's post," deputy parliament spokesman Sudarshan Kuinkel told AFP, referring to the Maoist party leader. Dahal, better known by his nom de guerre Prachanda or "the fierce one", led a decade-long Maoist insurgency before transforming the rebel movement into a political party after a 2006 peace deal. He has served as prime minister once before, after the Maoists won elections in 2009, but only lasted nine months in office before resigning. The party lost ground in the last elections in 2013 and is now only the third-biggest force in parliament. But neither of the two larger parties have enough seats to govern alone. Dahal secured the backing of the largest party, the Nepali Congress, after pulling out of Oli's coalition three weeks ago. If elected, Dahal faces the twin challenges of rebuilding the country after a devastating earthquake and resolving simmering unrest over a divisive new constitution adopted last September. Oli faced fierce criticism over his handling of protests against the charter, which triggered a months-long border blockade by demonstrators from the Madhesi ethnic minority. More than 50 people died in clashes between police and protesters, who say the constitution has left them marginalised. The new charter, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to bolster Nepal's transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability. But continuing discussions between the government and protesters over the constitution, particularly over the rights of marginalised communities, have failed to yield an agreement. (AFP)

Nepal's Maoist leader, Prachanda, set to become next prime minister

Nepal was thrown into political crisis today when the main Maoist party withdrew its support from the ruling coalition and called for the formation of a new government, threatening to topple Prime Minister KP Oli. 
 
The Maoists tried to unseat Oli in May but he clung on after reaching a power-sharing deal.&nbsp; 
 
An official from the prime minister&#39;s communist UML party said Oli would meet officials later on Tuesday to discuss his next move.&nbsp; 
 
Oli came to power in October when the Maoists offered his party parliamentary backing to build a coalition in the impoverished Himalayan country.&nbsp; 
 
Maoists accuse Oli of breaking promise&nbsp; 
 
The Maoists - who ended a decade-long insurgency in 2006 before joining mainstream politics - said Oli had broken promises he made in May.&nbsp; 
 
They also accuse him of failing to resolve festering anger in the south of the country over the terms of a new constitution, and of failing to speed up rebuilding of homes and roads destroyed in an earthquake last year.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We believe that our decision to withdraw support to this government will help form a new alliance on the basis of national consensus among major political parties,&quot; Krishna Bahadur Mahara, a top Maoist official, told reporters in Kathmandu.&nbsp; 
 
Congress ready to back Maoists &nbsp; 
 
Mahara said the opposition Nepali Congress party was ready to throw its support behind Maoist leader Prachanda to form a new government. Congress party officials were not immediately available for comment.&nbsp; 
 
Commentator Lok Raj Baral said the Maoists&#39; move could force a no-confidence vote and end Oli&#39;&#39;s term in office.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I suspect these two parties have already made a deal, but we will need to wait and see how Oli and the UML respond,&quot; he told Reuters, referring to the Maoists and the Congress. 
 
The Maoists&#39; withdrawal of support is the latest political twist for Nepal since it adopted its first post-monarchy constitution in September. 
 
The passing of the constitution looked like a rare moment of political consensus for the country, which became a republic in 2008, but it soon sparked protests. 
 
Minority Madhesis, who live mostly in Nepal&#39;s lowlands near India, imposed a four-month border blockade to protest against a proposal to carve Nepal into seven federal states, which they say would divide their homeland and deprive them of a fair say. 
 
More than 50 people were killed in clashes before protesters called off the blockade in February. 
 
Neighbours India and China compete for influence in Nepal and are both likely to be concerned by the prospect of more instability. 
 
(Reuetrs)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Maoists - who ended a decade-long insurgency in 2006 before joining mainstream politics - say PM Oli has broken promises he made in May

Nepal was thrown into political crisis today when the main Maoist party withdrew its support from the ruling coalition and called for the formation of a new government, threatening to topple Prime Minister KP Oli. The Maoists tried to unseat Oli in May but he clung on after reaching a power-sharing deal. An official from the prime minister's communist UML party said Oli would meet officials later on Tuesday to discuss his next move. Oli came to power in October when the Maoists offered his party parliamentary backing to build a coalition in the impoverished Himalayan country. Maoists accuse Oli of breaking promise The Maoists - who ended a decade-long insurgency in 2006 before joining mainstream politics - said Oli had broken promises he made in May. They also accuse him of failing to resolve festering anger in the south of the country over the terms of a new constitution, and of failing to speed up rebuilding of homes and roads destroyed in an earthquake last year. "We believe that our decision to withdraw support to this government will help form a new alliance on the basis of national consensus among major political parties," Krishna Bahadur Mahara, a top Maoist official, told reporters in Kathmandu. Congress ready to back Maoists Mahara said the opposition Nepali Congress party was ready to throw its support behind Maoist leader Prachanda to form a new government. Congress party officials were not immediately available for comment. Commentator Lok Raj Baral said the Maoists' move could force a no-confidence vote and end Oli''s term in office. "I suspect these two parties have already made a deal, but we will need to wait and see how Oli and the UML respond," he told Reuters, referring to the Maoists and the Congress. The Maoists' withdrawal of support is the latest political twist for Nepal since it adopted its first post-monarchy constitution in September. The passing of the constitution looked like a rare moment of political consensus for the country, which became a republic in 2008, but it soon sparked protests. Minority Madhesis, who live mostly in Nepal's lowlands near India, imposed a four-month border blockade to protest against a proposal to carve Nepal into seven federal states, which they say would divide their homeland and deprive them of a fair say. More than 50 people were killed in clashes before protesters called off the blockade in February. Neighbours India and China compete for influence in Nepal and are both likely to be concerned by the prospect of more instability. (Reuetrs)

Nepal in crisis after Maoists withdraw support, call for formation of new government

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