Govt mixing nationalism, Madhesi concerns: Bhattarai

Kathmandu, November 24

Former prime minister and Coordinator of the Campaign to Create New Force Baburam Bhattarai today accused the government of not being serious to resolve the crisis facing the country.

Addressing a press meet organised here today, Bhattarai said the government has mixed two separate issues to create confusion among the people. He said the issues of nationalism and movement in Tarai-Madhes were different and should be treated separately.

Bhattarai said 200-year-long dependence on the southern neighbour could not be wished away just like that and the nation should come up with a long-term plan and policy for the same. He said his new force would work on making Nepal independent.

Asked about the merger with Upendra Yadav-led Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal, Bhattarai said since his new force had not become any party there was no question of merger and the news reports regarding the merger were bogus.

One of the campaigners for the new force, Khimlal Devkota, said the two-day gathering with campaigners of the new force from across the country concluded yesterday and unanimously elected Bhattarai as the coordinator of the campaign and picked campaigners for all seven provinces.

Another campaigner, Devendra Poudel, while reading out the press statement said the government was trying to defame the agitating parties in the name of nationalism, mixing issues of Tarai-Madhes with Indian unofficial blockade.

He accused the government of facilitating black-marketing instead of controlling it.

He said the campaign would begin in all the 75 districts from today and membership would be distributed for the same. Poudel said Nepal’s internal problem was internationalised in an unusual manner.

He said the new force would find ways to solve the problems facing the country which the other political parties had failed to do.