The squabble among party leaders in the UCPN (Maoists) has also affected its publication, Janadesh weekly. After tensions rose between party leaders, the pro-establishment editor was removed at midnight and vice chairman Baburam Bhattarai criticised the party leadership in its own mouthpiece.

Manrishi Dhital had interviewed Bhattarai soon after he boycotted a Maoist training program this week. The two editors had a major disagreement after editor Komal Baral refused to publish that interview. The argument was over whether or not to print an interview with Bhattarai. The editor wanted to edit the interview. There was a huge row at the paper's office in Sankhamul and the editor was sacked.

Baral claimed that he was removed at the instruction of Baburam Bhattarai who also heads the party's promotion department, "I only said that we should not publish the interview as it will invite controversy," he said. Dhital on the other hand claims that Baral was removed at his own request. "He asked us to take back his name if we are publishing the interview."

Baral belongs to the Baidya faction and Dhital supports Bhattarai. The front page of Tuesday's Janadesh has openly criticised Dahal in an article headlined 'Our Objection'. It termed Dahal's refusal to allow Bhattarai to voice his dissent as an example of slave mentality. "Janadesh which has always supported debate, can never agree to the way Baburam Bhattarai was stopped from expressing his opinion at the party meet," the paper wrote.

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