Barhabise, December 19:

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bam Dev Gautam said his party was hampering the government’s smooth functioning.

“The party should not forget, when it censures the government, that Communist Party of Nepal (UML) is a part of the coalition government,” he said in frustration.

Speaking during the inaugural ceremony of the 12th district convention of All Nepal National

Free Students’ Union Sindhupalchowk here today, he said that the CPN-UML would also be ruined if the Maoists were not allowed to succeed.

Stating that UML leaders often criticised Prime Minister Prachanda, he said that UML would have to take a pie of a possible Maoist failure. He admitted that the law and order situation in the country was not good, but had improved comparatively. The government would not spare both Young Communist League and Youth Force if they acted above the law, he warned. He let the cat out of the bag that he spent 12 hours everyday, dealing with the party cadres, who come up with transfer, promotion and appointment proposals.

Calling on the party cadres not to consider merely personal gains, he assured that the corrupt officials, if reported to him, would be punished.

Talking to the press briefly, he confessed that some of the political lawsuits withdrawn by the government were criminal.