Kathmandu, May 10:

A gathering of around 100 leaders and activists of Nepal Students’ Union today demanded dissolution of the union’s central committee and formation of a small dynamic committee to hold a fresh national convention.

The participants also demanded withdrawal of the decisions and nominations made by the union’s president.

Manahari Shrestha, president of the NSU’s unit at Shankar Dev Campus, vehemently criticised the union leadership. He said the NSU had decided to deploy 101 youths in each booth during the CA polls but no youth was there in the booths, as the leadership did not issue circulars to the lower units. “This time, the role of NSU in the election remained nil,” he claimed.

He accused the NSU leadership of turning the union into an NGO and nominating school teachers and NGO staffers to the union’s posts.

“The central committee must be dissolved right away, a small committee should be formed and a fresh national convention called to give life to the union,” he said.

Former central committee member Surya Rai said union president Pradip Poudel has nominated people of his choice on the NSU posts and many devoted cadres were left out. He said Poudel was busy meeting his personal interests while many NSU cadres were beaten up by YCL cadres across the nation.

“If we fail to strengthen the union now, YCL will sweep everything out,” he said adding that the NSU should protect its cadres. “Why should anyone become an NSU member just to be thrashed by YCL cadres when there is nobody to speak for him?” he asked.

He said Madhusudhan Luitel, the president of the Free Students’ Union at Minbhawan Campus, has been missing for the last two years but the NSU leadership was bothered little about finding his whereabouts.

“There are no UML and NC cadres in the villages and Maoists have virtually seized the villages,” he said. He said weak NSU was the reason behind the Nepali Congress’s poor show in the CA polls.

Indu Sharma of Saraswoti Campus urged all students to revolt against lethargic and corrupt leadership. He slammed the media for promoting only the well-to-do people and always serving the interests of those who were in power, and ignoring the plight of the poor.

The disgruntled NSU faction plans to gherao the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar at 7 am tomorrow where the central committee meeting of the Nepali Congress has been going on for the last few days, to press the NC leadership to dissolve the NSU committee and call a fresh convention.

NSU vice-president Bhupendra Jung Shahi chaired today’s gathering. Shahi said they want immediate withdrawal of all decisions and nominations made by Poudel and creation of conducive environment for a fresh national convention.