Dutta urges Dahal to remove Yadav

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Nandan Kumar Dutta, who claims to be the new acting chief of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Republic, today met Unified CPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to seek removal of the Minister of Information and Communications Rajkishor Yadav from the government.

The Dutta-led faction had convened a meeting of the Central Committee meeting 10 days ago and declared that they had removed Yadav from the party’s acting chair and Central Committee. This faction had claimed that they had the backing of 12 members in the 22 member CC.

Yadav has already notified the Election Commission that the Dutta faction’s action against him was against party statute and democratic norms.

Dutta faction’s meeting with Dahal took place two days after they met Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai to demand the dismissal of Yadav from the government.

Atma Ram Sah, general secretary of the MJF-Republic who is close to Dutta said Dahal was convinced with them that their faction now commanded majority within the party.

Dahal told the Dutta faction that he would raise the issue with the PM and resolve the matter soon.

Sah said they told the UCPN-M chairman if Yadav was sacked from the government, his party would not send anybody to the government to represent their party but would continue supporting the government. Front is a major coalition partner of the Bhattarai government.

“We told Dahal that we may join the government only after a consensus is reached and a new government is formed,” Sah said. He argued that if Yadav had the majority in the CC as claimed, he would have proved by now.

“Those who are giving more time to Yadav to prove majority are giving him a chance to use his power and money to influence CC members,” Sah added. He said that his faction met with PM the other day, and the latter had told them that if Yadav were to be removed the government would not induct new minister from his party at this stage.

The Dutta faction has also suggested Dahal to appoint somebody else from the United Democratic Madhesi Front.

Yadav, who claims to be the bona fide chairman of the party, said that the majority of the CC and the entire party were behind him. He said Dutta was acting against him to exact revenge on him and he had nothing to do with Madhes issues.

“I don’t want to speak much on this issue to respect the feeling of Madhesis who are pained to see one after another split in the Madhesi parties. Who commands the majority will be confirmed soon. I will put forth my position within a day or two,” Yadav clarified.

“Those who want to see Madhesis empowered are thanking me for the role I played in the four party talks until May 27,” Yadav said.