KATHMANDU: Paramananda Jha today claimed that he was still the Vice President of the country.

“I’m still the Vice President. But the government is not doing enough work to enable me to rejoin my office,” Jha said while talking to a few journalists at his residence at Gaurighat today.

“I’m not sure whether the government will amend the Interim Constitution to allow me to take fresh oath in my mother tongue,” he said, adding that he was ineffective but his post was not vacant as per the order of the Supreme Court (SC).

“If anybody thinks that the Vice President’s post is vacant, then the authorities concerned can initiate the process of election for the new VP,” Jha said.

He also alleged that those who possess little knowledge on law and justice had been

saying that his post was lying vacant now.

Jha became an ineffective VP on August 30 as per the apex court order as he missed the deadline to take a fresh oath in Nepali as per the SC ruling on August 23.

He also blamed that the SC and the Office of the Attorney General were creating confusion rather than settling the issue. “Why didn’t the AG file a review petition in the SC on time and defend me as he is the lawyer of the VP as well?” he asked.

According to Jha, the government still has some options to resolve the impasse. “The amendment of the Interim Constitution is the best option though the review of the case and invoking Article 151 is the other option,” he added.

“If the government wants to respect the rights of every people the seventh amendment of the Constitution is required,” he added. “Now I want to see the rights of every people being respected,” he claimed.

Jha also came down

heavily against the Ministry of Home Affairs for removing

the national flag from his residence and reducing security. “The Home Ministry has been acting like in the Rana regime and Panchayat era,” he charged.

Jha said he has been waiting formal notice from authorities whether or not he would enjoy the Dashain allowance this year too.

He also added that he was worried about nation but not over his personal matters. “I’m worried over the timely drafting of the new statue.”