Pokhara, April 11

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba accused the KP Sharma Oli-led government of letting people down with its wanton ways.

“The communist party acquired power with tall promise of prosperity, but it has hiked taxes, induced inflation and failed to curb violence in the country,” argued Deuba, addressing the NC district treasurers’ third national convention in Pokhara today.

“The government has done nothing in the past one year other than running scandals and trying to centralise power.” Deuba slammed the government’s attempts to assume power to mobilise soldiers under its remit. “The army is, and must remain the preserve of the Security Council, not the government,” he said, expressing concern about what he called the government’s attempts to encroach upon the press, independent judiciary, and democracy, above all.

The NC chief also vowed to do the needful to heal intra-party rifts.

“The party has had enough of factionalism, so I’ll ensure that we get rid of this scourge. For this, the party is launching a nationwide awareness campaign from mid-April,” said Deuba, who also pledged action against traitors in the party.

While senior NC leader Ramchandra Paudel echoed the party president in his call to end friction in the party, saying it was desirable to do justice to the party rank and file, NC General Secretary Shashanka Koirala joined his party president in criticising the government for its authoritarian ways.

“The Oli government has interfered with the army, the judiciary and the press; therefore the onus of saving democracy is on our party,” Koirala said.