‘NC won’t tolerate anti-democratic moves’

Kathmandu, September 23

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba today said that his party would not tolerate government’s ‘anti-democratic activities.’

He said this here after launching a book titled Nekapa Sarkarka Kandai Kanda written by former chief of Nepal Students Union Nain Singh Mahar.

The NC president said that recent actions of the government, including some bills introduced in the Parliament, were against the basic principles of democracy. “Our party has always fought for democracy. We have fought against the Ranas and the kings and we will fight again if democracy is threatened,” he said, adding that the KP Sharma Oli-led government was trying to undermine press freedom and freedom of expression. “This government also wants to control the National Human Rights Commission,” Deuba said.

The NC has said the NHRC Act (Amendment) Bill will curtail powers of the rights body. Deuba said the Nepal Communist Party (NCP)-led government awarded the Melamchi Drinking Water Project and Budhi Gandaki Hydel Project without allowing bidders to compete. “No bidding means there is corruption,” he said.

He also warned the government that his party would intensify protest against the government both in the Parliament and the street if the government did not stop curtailing people’s freedom.  NC General Secretary Shashank Koirala lauded Mahar’s efforts of ‘exposing the wrong deeds of the NCP through the book.

Mahar has listed all the scandals and incidents that took place under Oli’s government, including gold smuggling case, syndicate case, Nirmala Panta rape and murder case and wide-body corruption scandal.