Nepal does a U-turn on Pashupatinath, not to sack Indian priests

Bowing to intense pressure from Hindu groups and political parties both at home and abroad, Nepal's Maoist government reversed its decision to replace the Indian priests at the Himalayan country's most revered Pashupatinath temple here with the local Brahmins.
    
The announcement was made by prime minister Prachanda during a special address to Parliament telecast live by the state-run television.
    
He said the appointment of the two local priests by the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), of which he is a patron too, in place of the Indian priests has been cancelled.
    
Prachanda said the trust has been instructed to begin the process of selecting new priests through open competition, which was the major demand of the agitating priests and the local people.
    
"I have cancelled the appointment of the new priests immediately and urged the old (Indian) priests to continue with the religious ceremony," he said.
    
Earlier, three Indian priests had submitted their resignation, including chief priest Mahabaleshwor Bhatta. "I have requested them to continue their job till new priests are appointed through proper procedure," Prachanda said.
      
He said now the Nitya Puja, the regular ritual of worshipping at the temple, will continue from on Thursday. "I have requested the Indian priests to resume their duty from Thursday as the Nitya Puja should not be disrupted."
    
After the sacking of the Indian priests, who have been traditionally performing prayers at the temple for the past 300 years, the Nitya Puja was disrupted for a week.
    
Nepal government's decision comes after Prachanda's meeting with visiting Indian actress and Rajya Sabha MP Shabana Azmi during which he told her that he would abide by the Supreme Court decision on the issue.
    
The Supreme Court had issued an interim order recently, asking the government to allow the Indian priests to continue prayers. It had nullified the appointment of the new priests.
    
Earlier in the day, an official of the apex court had said that Nepal's Supreme Court will hear a government petition on Monday seeking to vacate its stay on the removal of the Indian-origin priests at the Pashupatinath temple.
    
The decision by the Nepalese prime minister follows a week-long protests by hundreds of people, including priests and civil society workers, who also marched near the temple shouting anti-Maoist slogans and demanding the reinstatement of the old priests.
    
Prachanda's address to the Constituent Assembly came as the Parliament session resumed on Wednesday more than a week after it was stalled due to boycotting by different political parties including Nepali Congress to address their demands over the Pashupatinath temple issue.
    
Indian political parties, including BJP and Samajwadi Party, had also expressed their concerns over the issue.