Oli Government tacitly supporting pro-monarchists: Nepali Congress

Kathmandu, December 14

Nepal’s main Opposition party Nepali Congress on Monday accused the KP Sharma Oli government of tacitly supporting pro-monarchy rallies that have recently surfaced in different parts of the country, demanding reinstatement of constitutional monarchy and re-establishing the country as a Hindu state.

Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba, addressing a massive anti-government demonstration in Hetauda in central Nepal, alleged that “Prime Minister Oli seems to have been standing behind those who are staging demonstrations”.      

“Otherwise, how come they are taking to the streets freely at the moment?” Deuba questioned.

Former Prime Minister Deuba, however, ruled out the possibility of revival of monarchy at present.

“There should not be any illusion at all about reinstatement of monarchy in the country,” he said.

Deuaba was pointing to the recently held demonstrations by loyalists of ex-King Gyanendra in different parts of the country, including capital city Kathmandu that demanded the government to declare Nepal a Hindu state and restoration of monarchy.

Nepal was declared a secular state in 2008 after the success of the people’s movement of 2006 that saw the abolition of monarchy.

The NC president came down heavily upon the Oli government for its “attempts to impose one-party totalitarian rule in the country”.

He blamed the government for not working toward controlling growing cases of rape and corruption.

“The government is indulged in corruption even in course of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,” he alleged.

The NC demonstrated against the Oli government in all 77 districts of the country on Monday as part of its anti-government campaign.

Meanwhile, senior leader of Nepali Congress Prakash Man Singh said the Oli government was against the principle of federalism although Nepal had now been turned into a federal democratic republic.

The Prime Minister’s recent remarks that the provincial body is just an administrative unit of the central government is against the principle of federalism, he said.

He also accused Prime Minister Oli of distributing the national coffer to the party cadres and indulging in corruption. PTI