Palace paying gangs Rs 600m to assassinate leaders: Maoists By Rajendra Phuyal KATHMANDU, March 12 - The CPN-Maoist Monday said that the royal palace has set out a sum of Rs 600 million to assassinate pro-republican leaders. Talking to reporters at his parliamentary party office today, Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that the palace had hired a "gang to execute the killings". He, however, declined to elaborate on the "gang". Meanwhile, Maoist lawmaker Janardan Sharma 'Prabhakar' today submitted what he calls a CD documenting "evidence" of efforts to slander the Maoists to speaker Subash Chandra Nemwang. Mahara told reporters that the CD compiled media reports/articles published till date to slander and harm the reputation of the Maoists. According to Mahara, crown prince Paras distributed copies of the CD various army barracks in the country, claiming further that the Maoists had received the CD through "army sources". "The Nepal Army was used against the Maoists … we are deeply concerned with the activities of the palace," Mahara said, adding, "We are not at war at the moment and the activities of the army even while we are participating in the peace process goes to show just how neutral the army really is." Previously Maoist chairman Prachanda had made a statement saying that royalists were hatching conspiracies to assassinate top US officials posted in Nepal and lay the blame on the Maoists Posted on: 2007-03-12 05:19:13 (Server Time)