By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu, Nov 11 (IANS) Faced with the spectre of violence erupting in the Nepal capital Thursday after the former Maoist guerrillas warned they would go ahead with protests despite a ban, the coalition government Wednesday said it was lifting prohibitory orders.

The government had clamped prohibitory orders on a large area around Singha Durbar, the bastion of the government, in the capital in order to prevent a massive Maoist protest in front of the enclave Thursday and Friday.

All protests, rallies and demonstrations were banned near the Singha Durbar.

“It is a ploy to provoke unnecessary confrontation,” said Maoist leader and former finance minister Baburam Bhattarai, who has been orchestrating the new anti-government protests that started from Nov 1.

Bhattarai said the protests so far had been peaceful, disciplined and dignified.

“We do not want violence,” he told the media in the capital on the eve of the last phase of the protests Wednesday. “We will follow the old prohibitory orders (which stretch over a smaller area).

“However, we are not ready to obey the fresh prohibitions. In a democracy, there is no prohibition on peaceful demonstrations.”

The Maoist leader warned that the coalition government would be held responsible if violence erupted Thursday and urged human rights activists as well as international community to monitor Thursday’s protest.

Reacting to the possibility of the protests getting out of control, the district administration announced Wednesday night that the new ban had been revoked.

Bhattarai said that the Maoist movement in Nepal was “self-sufficient” and did not depend on support from India or Indian Maoists.

“However, as the largest party (in parliament), we want good relation with all our neighbours,” he said. “There are efforts to turn our relations with India bitter through allegations about our links with India’s Maoists.

“The Maoist movement in India is India’s internal matter and we have no links with them. It is an effort to create unjustified fears about us.”

The Maoists have asked Nepal’s civil servants and the people to stay away from Singha Durbar for two days.