Sharma miffed at being appointed party's deputy gen secy, not gen secy
KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 7
CPN-Maoist Centre leader Janardan Sharma, who was unhappy with party Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal after being designated as one of the deputy general secretaries of the party, vented his ire at Dahal, albeit without mentioning the issue.
The CPN-MC recently named Dev Gurung as the party's general secretary. Sharma was among the leaders who aspired to that post.
Addressing a programme organised by the All Nepal National Free Students Union (Revolutionary), the CPN-MC's student wing, he said he was addressing the programme in the capacity of the party's organisation department chief, implying that he was not addressing the interaction in the capacity of a deputy general secretary of the party.
He said he did not hesitate to criticise the party chair whenever he saw a reason for it. "I have protected party Chair Dahal on more occasions than any other leader has done, but whenever I see any discrepancies in the leadership's action, I do not hesitate to criticise the leadership," Sharma said, adding, "It is not that we cannot criticise the party leadership. Criticism helps protect the leadership."
He said without protecting the party's policies and leadership, the party could not champion its political agenda. Sharma said Dahal should not listen to leaders of factions in the party, but should rather try to find the truth. "Party chair should form his opinion after listening to factional leaders. He should not try to exact revenge on anybody,"
Sharma said. He said the party's agenda had changed in the new context and the party should also bring changes in its working style.
Dahal reacted angrily to Sharma's remarks at the programme. He said, "Janardan just said that he protected me on more occasions than anybody else did in the party. But let me make it clear that it is me who protected Janardan and nurtured him (politically)."
A version of this article appears in the print on September 8, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
