Kathmandu: The opposition is calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda after he said that an Indian businessman living in Nepal "once made efforts" to make him the leader. Sardar Pritam Singh, a forerunner in the Nepali trucking industry, was credited by Prachanda with significantly advancing ties between Nepal and India.
Prachanda made these remarks while addressing a function to launch the book, ‘Roads to the Valley: The Legacy of Sardar Pritam Singh in Nepal’. “He travelled to Delhi several times and held multiple rounds of talks with political leaders in Kathmandu to make me the PM,” he said.
A number of people have criticised the remarks. The national assembly meeting was interrupted by the largest opposition group, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), which demanded the resignation of the prime minister. Chairman of CPNUML KP Sharma Oli said they want resignation from the PM, not a clarification. “His remarks have given a blow to national independence, dignity, the constitution and the parliament. ”Speaking in the lower house, UML lawmaker Raghuji Pant said, “We don’t need a PM appointed by Delhi. ” The ruling parties have also expressed dissatisfaction with Prachanda’s statement.
The PM has clarified his remarks about Sardar Pritam Singh“has been misinterpreted to cause a stir. ” What he had said was quoted from what Pritam Singh had said in the book, he said. “I wanted to show that Pritam Singh was not only interested in social service and transport business but also in politics and that he had lobbied with parties in Delhi and Nepal to make me PM. ”