Rupandehi, November 17:

A central committee member of the Nepali Congress (NC) has accused the CPN-Maoist of not wanting to do away with monarchy.

Speaking at a programme organised by the Rupandehi chapter of the Press Union Nepal, Bal Krishna Khand accused the Maoists of prolonging the life of monarchy by coming in the way of CA elections.

First, the Maoists spiked the elections scheduled for November 22, he said, adding, “Now, they are demanding that voters’ list be updated for the polls slated for next year. This means it will be impossible to hold the polls next year as well.”

“The NC cannot even think of retaining the monarchy. It is a mystery why the Maoists, who were so vociferously against the monarchy, suddenly developed cold feet,” he said.

Khand said that the NC ushered in political change in the country by embracing the multi-party democratic model instead of the multi-party pro-monarchy order. At that juncture, the Maoists mysteriously quit the government, he said.

MP Surya Prasad Pradhan said the Maoists were opposed to the CA polls fearing a poor show in the elections.

NC Rupandehi president Ramchandra Dhakal blamed the Maoists for “continuing terror through the Panchayat period riff-raff whom they had organised into the Young Communist League.

“During the Panchayat period, Deepak Bohora used Dhela Musalman to launch a reign of terror. Now, that same Dhela is the Bhairahawa in-charge of the YCL,” Dhakal said, adding that the Maoists have not yet returned civilians’ property and land that they had seized during the conflict.