Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is in the middle of a raging controversy after he claimed that an Indian businessman “once made efforts” to install him as the premier of the Himalayan country.
According to Nepalese media reports, PM Dahal made his off-the-cuff remark on Monday during a function to launch a book titled ‘Roads to the Valley: The Legacy of Sardar Pritam Singh in Nepal’. The book focuses on Sardar Pritam Singh’s life, often regarded as the pioneer trucking entrepreneur in Nepal. However, during the function, Dahal said Singh lobbied for his appointment as prime minister in Delhi and Kathmandu almost eight years ago.
“He (Singh) had once made efforts to make me the prime minister,” Dahal was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. “He reached Delhi several times and held multiple rounds of talks with political leaders in Kathmandu to make me the prime minister.”
Dahal added that Singh played a significant and historic role in strengthening the relationship between the two countries.
Opposition demands resignation
The PM’s statement soon ignited a row as the opposition disrupted the proceedings in both the lower and upper houses of the parliament, demanding his resignation.
The members of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) staged a united front and called out Dahal for allowing outsiders to have a say in the democratic process of Nepal.
Former PM KP Sharma Oli and current chairman of CPN-UML made it clear that his party’s main objective was to secure Dahal’s resignation.
“He (Prime Minister) said, and I am quoting him, ‘He (Pritam Singh) once made a lot of efforts to make me Prime Minister, went to Delhi many times.’ Should he go to Delhi or to fellow Nepalese citizens to be PM,” asked UML lawmaker Raghuji Panta.
“Shouldn’t we turn to the Nepali people to make somebody the prime minister? Why should anybody go to New Delhi to make somebody the prime minister?” he added.
“Is the prime minister’s post above the country’s pride, territorial integrity and dignity?”
Dahal to issue clarification
With the controversy snowballing, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-MC), to which Dahal belongs, released a statement saying his words were misinterpreted.
“In my opinion, the prime minister might not intend to indicate India’s intervention in Nepal’s internal politics. But he should have used political and diplomatic words in a cautious manner while speaking about such a sensitive issue,” said Secretary Ganesh Shah.
Notably, the parliament has been adjourned till 3 pm on Friday. Dahal is expected to issue a clarification statement once the proceedings resume.
Source: WION