Biratnagar, December 28:

Minister for Physical Planning and Works and parliamentary party leader of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar said today that the ongoing debate within the party had been started to force the party to withdraw its support to the government.

Addressing a press conference organised by the Morang district committee of the MJF here today, Gachhadar said, “The Maoist-led government has been a failure and the MJF’s participation in the government has hit its credibility.” Gachhadar said the government could not even introduce a common minimum programme in its four-and-a-half months’ tenure.

“The party should evaluate the government’s performance and withdraw from it,” Gachhadar said, alleging that the Maoists never accorded respect and treatment to the MJF in the ruling coalition that it rightfully deserved.

Admitting that there was a rift in the MJF, he emphasised the need of a collective leadership in the party. “The cooperation of all classes and sectors is a must to make MJF a national party,” he said. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta said rumours that MJF’s leaders in the government would resign en masse held no ground. “The party statute and political agenda will be amended in the national

convention of the MJF. But we will not change the name of the party and will not abandon the slogan of One Madhes, One Pradesh,” he added. He said changes in party statute were needed to prevent the party leadership from becoming autocratic.

“Our party has cadres from different backgrounds. The party should consider it,” Gupta said, hinting towards change in party president’s working style.