NC men grill Sitaula over law and order situation

Kathmandu, July 19:

Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala today reiterated that he is committed to holding the constituent assembly elections on November 22, even as his party members urged Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula to explain how will he create a conducive environment for the polls at a time when the “Young Communist League (YCL) has been terrorising the hills and several factions have been creating terror” in the Tarai.

When a majority of NC leaders asked how the polls will be conducted at a time when the law and order situation is “deteriorating” day by day, Koirala told his partymen to “transform” adverse situations into favourable ones.

“The NC has overcome adverse situations in the past. This is NC’s history,” a central leader of the NC Laxman Ghimire quoted PM Koirala as telling the Parliamentary Party meeting held at his official residence.

“I assure you that I will conduct the constituent assembly elections on the stipulated date,” a senior leader of the NC, Dr Ram Baran Yadav, quoted Koirala.

NC leaders also condemned the ongoing attacks in the Tarai and the recent warning issued by the Jwala Singh-led Janatantrik Tarai Mutki Morcha (JTMM) to the people of the hill origin (Pahade) to leave the Tarai. They urged the government to take immediate measures to put an end to such activities.

Sitaula said that he was “making efforts to improve the law and order situation.” NC leaders

also expressed displeasure over the government decision to deploy Nepal Police personnel together with the YCL cadres for the security of Maoist chairman Prachanda.

They were also “equally concerned” about the government’s decision to register the vehicles being used by the Maoists. They asked the government to clarify which Act or law allows

the registration of “stolen” vehicles. “This is unfair,” an NC leader told this daily. PM Koirala also said the unification of the NC and NC (D) will materialise “very soon.” PM Koirala also assured the eight-party unity will not break until the CA polls, Dr Yadav said.