KATHMANDU: Stating that he had got a clean chit from court 33 years ago when he was implicated in a corruption scandal by then Panchayati regime, Prem Bahadur Khadka, Nepal Bar Association’s presidential candidate, today accused his rival candidates of conspiring against him.

“I got clean chit from the court 33 years ago and it is now baseless to drag me into controversy,” Khadka said, speaking at a press meet here today. Khadka had organised a press conference to defend that he has an unblemished claim for the highest post in NBA.

He also argued that the rival contenders have simply tried to drag him in unfounded case when he was the presidential candidate for the Supreme Court.

Khadka claimed that using media as tool, an attempt has been made to assassinate his character.

Meantime, senior advocate Basanta Ram Bhandari, who then pleaded on behalf of Khadka, claimed that the Panchayati regime had implicated Khadka at that time as it had been systematically attacking persons advocating for democracy.

“Those who are now dragging Khadka into controversy referring to the case have the same authoritarian mentality,” Bhandari added. Bhandari reiterated arguing that since Khadka had gotten the clean chit of the court, it was baseless for media to publish news labeling him the charges.

“It’ll only question the credibility of the newspaper,” he added.

Upendra Keshari Neupane, coordinator of the election campaign committee, said that the publicity has flouted the media ethics and law of the nation.

“The rivals have been involved in such publicity campaign in their bid to assassinate character as we are inching closer to victory in the election,” Neupane claimed.