BIRATNAGAR: Despite criticism over appointment of Sujata Koirala to the post of deputy prime minister, Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala was warmly welcomed in his home town, today. Koirala has been criticized in the party for nepotism.

President Koirala was in his home town to unveil statues of former Prime Minister BP Koirala (brother) and sister-in-law Nona Koirala. The statues were erected at the office premises of NC Morang chapter. The NC president is scheduled to unveil the statues at 11:30 am at a function tomorrow.

“GPK, who was in a tensed mood, was not happy though cadres received him warmly,” Amrit Aryal, NC district president said. Security personnel had tough time when hundreds of cadres flocked to the Biratnagar airport in motorbikes.

“A grand welcome of this sort was a rare one,” NC Morang said, adding, Koirala was taken to various parts of the city. Traffic came to a halt for an hour. However, despite a long wait, the journalists could not meet Koirala at his residence. Meanwhile, NC Morang stated that Koirala will meet party cadres before returning to the capital on Friday.