KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 9
The ruling alliance leaders fired counter salvos today at CPN-UML leader KP Sharma Oli, who tried to cash in on nationalism issue while addressing an election rally in Darchula on Friday.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal addressed an election rally in Darchula and told people not to trust Oli on what he had told them about the map issue. Deuba said Oli lied when he said that he was the only leader to get Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura incorporated in Nepal's map.
On Friday, Oli had said that they would not allow a single inch of the country's land to be encroached upon. "We incorporated the Kalapani area in the national map which the Parliament endorsed unanimously. I am here to guarantee that the area will be returned to Nepal," Oli had said. Deuba said all parties -- including the NC and the CPN-Maoist Centre -- unitedly amended the constitution to incorporate Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura into the map of Nepal. He said Oli's claim that he alone did that was a lie.
Deuba said only talks with India could get Kalapani, Limpiyadhura, and Lipulekh back and Oli's statement in Darchula would make no difference.
He said the ruling alliance would make diplomatic efforts with India to get those areas back.
Dahal said Oli was reluctant to seek return of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura, but it was only after majority members of the erstwhile Nepal Communist Party (NCP) forced Oli to move ahead, he initiated the process of amending the constitution.
He said his party forged an alliance with the NC to save political changes, democracy, and the constitution.
He claimed that the UML-led alliance was a collaboration between forces that wanted to reinstate the monarchy and forces that shredded the constitution.
Stating that Oli was against the Constituent Assembly and republican order, Dahal said Oli was waiting for an opportune moment to rip apart the constitution to deprive the marginalised communities of their rights.
A version of this article appears in the print on November 10, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
