PTI
KATHMANDU, Jan 4: A top Maoist minister has said the government would allow Nepalese priests to conduct worship at the Pashupatinath Temple despite the ban by the Supreme Court, a move that could further ignite the row in the country.
The former guerrillas stormed the shrine on Thursday defying Nepal's Supreme Court order staying the appointment of Nepalese priests following the sacking of Indian Brahmins involved in the traditional rituals at the temple for the past 300 years.
Maoists and cadres of the Young Communist League (YCL) stormed the temple, escorting the new priest to replace Indian Brahmins, a move that triggered immediate protests from main opposition party Nepali Congress and Hindu bodies and people residing in the vicinity of the temple.
Gopal Kirati, minister for culture and state restructuring, said he would not re-instate the sacked Indian priests at the Pashupatinath Temple.
He said he would allow the new Maoist appointed priests to perform prayers at the temple despite the Supreme Courts order that directs the government to allow prayers by the Indian priests, honouring centuries-old tradition.
Kirati told mediapersons that he said file another petition in the Supreme Court, pleading for changing the interim order.
He also stressed that he would organise rallies in the Pashupatinath area to garner support for his move.
Kirati said that he cannot reinstate the South Indian priests, including chief priest Mahabaleshwor Bhatta, who have already resigned from the position.
He, however, admitted that there has been some procedural errors in recruiting the new priests.
Narottam Vaidya, the former member of the Pashupati Area Development Trust, refuted the statement of the minister and said the priests were forced to resign after the Maoist cadres threatened them.
The Maoist minister claimed that the governments move was aimed at making the system at Pashupatinath transparent and to introduce reforms in the temple management.
Kirati said he would launch a three-month long awareness campaign in Kathmandu to press for reforms in the temple management.
Although Nepal government regards the statement issued by BJP president Rajnath on Pashupatinath Temple issue as natural, such an interference from the president of an Indian political party was undesirable, he said in response to a question.
He said the issue would not damage Indo-Nepal relations and would not put in danger the jobs of Nepalese nationals who are serving as priests in temples in India.
The local 'Bhandaris', who have assisted in the centuries-old worship at the Pashupatinath, and the civil society people have formed a 32-member 'struggle committee' to launch an agitation on the issue.
The Maoists, who waged a decade-long insurgency, joined mainstream politics after a 2006 peace deal with the interim government led by G P Koirala and formed a coalition under its supremo Prachanda after it emerged as the single largest party in the April 10 constitutional assembly polls last year.