As Nepal's first Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda announced his resignation in a televised address to the nation after an escalating quarrel with allies and President Ram Baran Yadav, a senior minister in the outgoing cabinet blamed India for the debacle, saying New Delhi's bureaucrats had committed an 'enormous blunder'.

"India supported the army and the president in their unconstitutional acts against democratic forces," Maoist Finance Minister Baburam Bhattarai told IANS. "It was an enormous blunder. It is going to cost India all the goodwill it earned by supporting the prodemocracy movement during King Gyanendra’s regime."

The Maoist leader, who had earlier said he had learnt the ABC of Marxism in New Delhi's prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University, where he was a doctorate student in the 80s, blamed the 'bureaucrats' in New Delhi for the fall of the Maoist government.

"The politicians are busy

with the elections and the decisions are being taken by blundering bureaucrats," he said. "The Indian people and parties should take note of this and India should review its bureaucracy policy.”

While announcing his resignation, Prachanda had accused the opposition, some of his own allies and foreign powers', meaning India, of conspiring against his eightmonth government and encouraging the president to work outside his constitutional role by abetting the army.

Bhattarai said his party would now begin a struggleon the streets and from the floor of interim parliament to amend the President's unconstitutional move to reinstate the army chief Gen Rookmangud Katawal, who was sacked by his party Sunday.

However, he said that the new struggle would be a peaceful one.

'Both Katawal and Ram Baran Yadav must be sacked since they acted against the-constitution," he said. Till that is done, we will continue our struggle.”