Nepali Congress (NC) has prepared schedule for agitation against the House dissolution by Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli after President Sher Bahadur Deuba made an about turn during the central committee meeting on Sunday.
The main opposition party was divided on the issue of its response to what it unanimously calls unconstitutional and undemocratic step by Oli.
Senior Leader Ram Chandra Puadel said the party should strongly protest the House dissolution while President Deuba, who has been accused of conniving with Oli by the Dahal-Nepal faction, argued that NC should not opt for agitation in a way that can influence the court's decision on the issue and wait for the court verdict.
Bt Deuba made an about turn in the meeting Sunday. "I have been saying right from the beginning that PM Oli has done an unconstitutional, undemocratic and autocracy-oriented work by dissolving the House of Representatives. We must now opt for agitation," a central committee member quoted Deuba as saying during the meeting on Sunday.
Central member Pradeep Paudel said NC will demonstrate in all 330 provincial constituencies on January 9. "We have decided to demonstrate in 753 local bodies on January 16 and 6,743 wards across the country on January 21," Paudel added.
The district committees can also announce separate protest programs in a way that do not coincide with the schedule prepared by the central committee.
Senior Leader Paudel and former general secretary Krishna Sitaula also spoke during the meeting on Sunday and urged the party for agitation saying there is not alternative to protesting the unconstitutional step. Another central member claimed that Deuba was forced to opt for agitation due to the strong demand of Paudel and Sitaula to do so.
