FYI-----ekantipur.com ****************************************************************** Army vehicles brought in to dispatch UN troops: Govt, India says reports baseless Kantipur Report KATHMANDU, Sept 13 - The government on Wednesday slammed the allegations of arms import from India as "baseless", and clarified that the vehicles had been brought in to transport Nepali soldiers as UN peacekeeping forces to Lebanon. The government also said it was unfortunate that strikes founded on baseless rumours had taken place and urged the Maoists and other concerned parties stop such activities. Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula made the comments at the Wednesday's sitting of the House of Representatives. "The talks of weapons entering Nepal are just rumours," Sitaula said. According to a government decision, 33 army vehicles had been brought in to help dispatch the 850 peacekeeping troops being deployed on the UN's request, informed Sitaula adding that the vehicles had been in the process of getting a paint-job. The home minister also requested the Maoists not to harbour any suspicions regarding the army vehicles on their way to peacekeeping duties adding that protests and strikes would only serve to complicate matters. Stating that the government remains steadfast towards upholding its commitments, Sitaula said, "The government cannot imagine going back to war." Previously, members of the parliament Raghuji Panta, Mahendra Poudel, Lilamani Pokharel, among others, had demanded activities of the HoR be halted to let either the home minister or the defence minister present clarification regarding the "alleged arms import." 'Baseless reports' Meanwhile, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (IMEA) refuted the Maoists claim that a big consignment of weapons entered Nepal from India on Tuesday. In response to a query on news reports in Nepal about trucks allegedly carrying arms from India to Nepal, the Official Spokesperson of IMEA clarified that the reports were baseless. "The news reports are baseless and there is no truth in them," said Navtej Sarna, the spokesperson of the IMEA. Earlier, this morning, the Maoist rebels claimed that a huge cache of arms and ammunitions, imported by the government, entered Nepal on Tuesday. According to Maoist central regional in-charge and deputy commander Barshaman Pun alias Ananta, four Mine Protected Vehicles, 20 mini trucks, 2 trucks and five jeeps carrying arms and ammunitions from India entered Nepal via Birgunj and arrived at the Nepal Army barracks at Gajuri, Dhading district, on the Prithivi Highway at 9 pm Tuesday. The Maoists also called for a strike outside the valley against what it calls "massive import of arms cache" by the Nepal Army from the country's eastern frontier. Posted on: 2006-09-13 05:28:05 (Server Time)