Claiming that Royalist elements had “infiltrated” into his party cadres, the Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda on Thursday blamed these forces for mounting vandalism in the nation including attacks on press.

“May be the royalists forces might have ordered their cadres to infiltrate in the CPN-Maoist and carry out acts of violence and vandalism,” Prachanda said. The premier’s remarks came in the wake of Maoist trade union activists’ attack on journalists serving at Himal Media house. “It may also be that Gyanendra’s people might have infiltrated and hence the escalation in incidents of vandalism,” he said. He also said that infiltration might have taken place with the intention of creating illusion by becoming more violent than Maoists during the transition period. “One cannot negate the infiltration by royalists when one analyses the latest developments and remarks made by former king Gyanendra during a meeting with the Indian Ambassador last week that his people have become Maoists.”

Prachanda said Gyanendra met Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood in connection with the ex-King’s possible visit to India, during which he had reportedly told the Ambassador that all his well-wishers have joined the Maoist party. Indian Embassy officials however did not make any comment in the matter as Ambassador Rakesh Sood was in Delhi at that time to attend a meeting. The PM’s remarks comes in wake of the CPN-Maoists’ call for an alliance of leftist and “nationalist” forces, meaning royalists.