Prachanda says India visit has bridged gaps

Maoist chief Prachanda today said that his just-concluded visit to New Delhi has cleared all "past misgivings" and bridged the "communication gap" between his party and India.
Prachanda, said that his 4-day visit was successful in building the atmosphere of trust between India and Nepal, creating a base for economic development and prosperity for the country.
"A stable and prosperous Nepal can properly address �the security concerns of both of its neighbours India and China", the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist(UCP-M) chairman Prachanda told journalists upon his arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport this evening.
"A poor and unstable Nepal cannot address the security concerns of its neighbours," he pointed out.

"The visit has cleared all past misgivings and filled communication gap between our party and India," said Prachanda.
59-year-old Prachanda is known for his anti-India rhetoric after his removal from power in 2009 when he had tussle with President Ram Baran Yadav over the issue of sacking the then Army chief Rukmangad Katawal.

However, UCPN-M has since softened its stance against India when Baburam Bhattarai was elevated to power with the backing of Madhesi parties in 2011.
Prachanda held separate meetings with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid during his stay in New Delhi. He also met leaders of opposition parties.

Prachanda said that Indian leaders, both from opposition and ruling parties were concerned about conducting timely election in Nepal. All of them have extended their good wishes for conducting election in November, as proposed by Nepal's political parties, he said.
Indian government and political leaders were ready to extend all kinds of assistance to Nepal, including providing logistics, for conducting timely election in order to draft the constitution, he claimed.