KATHMANDU: The main opposition party Nepali Congress is observing the 45th national unity and reconciliation day nationwide by organising various programmes.

Every year, Poush 16 of the Nepali calendar is marked by the NC as national unity and reconciliation day when the party's founding president BP Koirala along with other leaders came back home following a long exile in neighbouring India.

The party is marking this day countrywide by organising various activities including rallies, corner meets, and talk programmes in all 77 districts of the country.

Historically, NC leaders BP Koirala, Ganesh Man Singh, Shailaja Acharya, Khum Bahadur Khadka, among others, had come back to Nepal putting forward the ideas of national unity and reconciliation on Poush 16 of 2033 BS (1976 AD). BP Koirala had advocated the need for reconciliation between the people (through various political parties) and the King to protect the nation's sovereignty.

In 2017 BS (1960 AD), the then King Mahendra had removed Koirala -- also a prolific writer of Nepali literature -- from the office of Prime Minister, overthrowing the government and parliament to introduce the party-less Panchayat system.

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