Pokhara, August 16

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba today accused KP Sharma Oli-led government of moving towards authoritarianism.

Addressing a provincial level training programme organised by NC Central Policy, Research and Training Foundation in Pokhara, Deuba alleged that Oli had demolished pillars of democracy and was heading towards totalitarianism.

“Oli is trying to gag media by tabling the Media Council Bill in the parliament just the way former king Gyanendra Shah had attacked the media,” Deuba stated.

He, however, pledged that his party would never allow the government to pass the media bill from the parliament.

Deuba accused the incumbent government of assaulting the National Human Rights Commission, the National Security Council, judiciary and media to weaken democracy and for laying ground for one-party communist rule.

He urged general public to take caution as the government was hell-bent on destroying bases of democracy.

Deuba assured his party would always fight to safeguard democratic values such as freedom, equality and independent judiciary. He reiterated that his party would never compromise on democracy and press freedom.

On a different note, Deuba urged party ranks and file to be united to elect party’s candidate from Kaski constituency-1 in the upcoming by-election. “I request party rank and file to defeat the NCP from Kaski constituency-1 and send out the message that NC is the strongest force in the country,” Deuab added.

At the programme, NC senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel said people had given a two-thirds majority to the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), but the party had failed to meet needs and expectations of people. “People are seeking an alternative to the NCP. And the NC has to win their support to emerge as the single largest party in the next general election,” Paudel added.

He admitted that factionalism had weakened the party and he asked the party rank and file to end factionalism and work to make the party a potent force. He argued that people had pinned their hopes on the NC that is led guided by principles of BP Koirala.

“NC has to safeguard democracy. And it has to abide by its statute. Since the country will have general election after three years, we should conduct party’s general convention at the earliest to prepare for the next election,” Paudel said.