New Delhi: The controversy over Indian priests at the Pashupatinath temple in Nepal refuses to die down.
On the one hand the Nepal government says it isn't targeting the priests but speaking to CNN-IBN the Nepal minister for culture said that the priests of Indian origin were guilty of corruption.
Even as Prime Minister Prachanda says the Indian priests will be allowed to perform their duties in the temple, his cultural minister said, "We found irregularities in the treasury and hence we are making it public. The Bhandaris are afraid of exposure and hence they are disrupting the proceedings but still we are talking to them."
The Pashupatinath temple trust has moved court seeking scrapping the stay order. Priests inside the temple told CNN-IBN that none of them were being allowed to perform worship rituals. Temple insiders, including Nepalis want the Indian priests to be restored and even want India to intervene on their behalf.
Prachanda's deputy told CNN-IBN that court's orders will be obeyed but Maoists say that the matter is beyond court's jurisdiction as the temple board is an autonomous body.
There are three versions of statements coming from three different parties in the coalition. The Maoists, UML and the Madhesis are all contradicting each other. That has created a diplomatic fix for India which cannot decide whether it is really not an anti-India move as Prachanda reassures or are the priests important enough to engage in strife over.
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