Jhapa, February 11:

Nepali Congress leader and minister without portfolio Sujata Koirala said today that Maoist chairman Prachanda should not be allowed to contest the constituent assembly polls as long as he is the commander-in-chief of the Maoist People’s Liberation Army.

She was speaking at a training programme organised for cadres of the Nepal Tarun Dal at Birtamod in Jhapa district.

“Anyone who can scuttle the CA polls are the Maoists,” she said. She added that the Young Communist League should be disbanded without any further delay and that Maoist chairman Prachanda should shed his military uniform if he was to contest the CA polls. Stating that the law and order situation in the country was in bad shape, Sujata said the government should be commended for the raids on YCL offices.

The move had given the people some relief and also a sense of security and belief that there was a government functioning in the country, she said.

“The Madhes stir should not be underestimated or taken as a simple issue. Terror needs no backing of a large number of people. Hence, the government should settle the Madhes issue at the earliest,” Koirala said.

Nepal Students’ Union central president Pradip Poudel said the NC should go to the public with the agenda of what sort of republic Nepal wants and what new Nepal would be like. Nepal Tarun Dal central member Dhan Prasad Gurung chaired the programme.