Kathmandu, May 4

Prime Minister and Co-chair of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) KP Sharma Oli today defended President Bidhya Devi Bhandari’s choice of phrase ‘my government’ that she used while presenting the government’s policies and programmes in the joint meeting of the Parliament yesterday.

PM Oli came to defend the president’s choice of phrase during the parliamentary party meeting of NCP in New Baneshwor this afternoon as well as in an interaction held with mediapersons earlier today in Baluwatar.

President Bhandari had used the phrase 21 times in the Parliament. Her choice of the phrase drew heavy criticism from political parties and civil society. Critics said that the president used the phrase ‘my government’ that was exclusively used by kings in Nepal during the royal regime.

Defending President Bhandari’s choice of phrase, Oli said the phrase should be understood from the larger point of view. “I was shocked when people criticised the president for using the phrase ‘my government,’’ he said while interacting with journalists in Baluwatar.

“If I say my country, I do not mean the country is only mine. It also belongs to others,” he said. “I can say my national anthem, it doesn’t mean the anthem is written by me. But still I can say ‘my national anthem’.

Does it mean the national anthem is only mine?” PM Oli questioned.

Terming tthe president as an institution, PM Oli also directed party lawmakers during the parliamentary party meeting not to criticise the phrase ‘my government’ used by the president. “All of us need to defend it,” he said.

Claiming that all the Indian presidents often used the phrase ‘my government’ while presenting the government’s policies and programmes, PM Oli urged all to study international practices before making unnecessary criticisms over President Bhandari’s choice of phrase.

During the parliamentary party meeting, lawmaker Janardan Sharma asked the co-chairs of the party to clarify their position on the phrase ‘my government’ used by the president.

Lawmaker Surendra Pandey criticised the co-chairs for not allowing lawmakers to present their views during the meeting.