We do not need Indian support to resolve problem: Deuba

Kathmandu, Feb 2 (UNI) Nepal does not require India's support to address the crisis of eastern Terai, former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said.

''Nepal is capable enough to address the problem,'' Kantipur quoted him as saying in eastern Nepal today.

The vote must be conducted as scheduled at any cost, he said.

Election for the Constituent Assembly (CA) is scheduled to be held on April 10. Some of the armed groups in Terai have said that they would disrupt the elections.

Nepali Army would be mobilised for conducting the CA elections if all other means were exhausted, he said.

The army would be mobilised if the security of the ballot boxes and voters were under threat.

Meanwhile, a child was injured when a bomb went off near a mass meeting to be addressed by Mr Deuba in Inaruwa, eastern Nepal.

Three gangsters were killed in a police action at Adarshnagar Pragatinagar Tole in Birgunj last night, media reports said.

The three killed are believed to be Indian criminals, Kantipur quoted police sources as saying.

A police patrol team had encountered an armed group of about eight to nine gangsters at about 11 pm. The criminals had fired about seven rounds of bullets and were killed in police retaliation.

UNI XC PD AS1744