Kathmandu, march 14 - Maoist chief Prachanda on Tuesday expelled two central committee members of the party—Rabindra Shrestha and Mani Thapa, 24 hours after the two charged that the party being used as a ‘private fief’ of the top leadership. A statement signed by Prachanda said the public statement by the two on the eve of the countrywide blockade ‘against feudal machinery was a clear proof that they acted like the followers of King Gyanendra, ‘proponent of the absolute regime’.

In the process, the two central committee members also dissociated themselves from the party as well as the ‘path of revolution’ it has charted.

Prachanda dismissed all the allegations labelled against him and his colleague Baburam Bhattarai. “The party central leadership dismisses it,” the statement said, adding that the two went against the party’s directive that if they had any grievances they should bring it within the party structure.