Gupta, Mandal sacked from party

Kathmandu, August 25:

A two-day central working committee meeting of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi) in Kathmandu decided to hold the party’s fifth national convention in Lahan of Siraha from October 17 to 19.

The meeting held at the party’s parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar, in the presence

of party chairperson Anandi Devi, extended good wishes to Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Paramananda Jha on being elected to the posts of President and Vice President, respectively.

“The election of Madhesi people to the highest posts has further consolidated national unification and nationalism,” a press statement issued at the end of the meeting said.

The meeting also congratulated Maoist chairman Prachanda on being elected to the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Nepal and wished for his successful tenure. NSP-A also took the PM’s first address to the nation positively, as “it has pledged to give equal rights to the communities of the Himal, Hills and the Tarai”.

The party also demanded that Hindi be recognised as the second national language after Nepali as “it is a link language in most part of the country”.

It also decided to launch a national campaign to start fresh debate on federalism.

The meeting suspended party leaders Shyam Sundar Gupta and Khushilal Mandal from

the party’s general membership for their role against the party and its chairperson.

Both the leaders have been accused of keeping the party chairperson, Anandi Devi, out of contact for months and of giving her mental torture. The meeting also raised objection to Gupta’s nomination as a CA member by the then council of ministers. The statement said Gupta took hostage Anandi Devi to have his name recommended as a CA member.

The meeting also demanded that the government immediately provide relief assistance to thousands of victims of the Koshi floods and announced that its CA members would provide salary of 10 days to the victims. It also called for the formation of an-all party inquiry committee to investigate into what led to the collapse of the Koshi embankment rendering thousands of people homeless.