CPN-UML leader Bam Dev Gautam has said he urged Chairman KP Sharma Oli to take back the decisions the latter unilaterally took on March 12 during their dinner meeting Thursday night.
Chief Whip of UML Bishal Bhattarai, who was present during the meeting along with Law Minister Lila Nath Shrestha, claimed after the meeting that Gautam stated that he has an eternal bond with Oli and that will continue.
But Gautam has refuted those claims speaking about the meeting Friday morning through his press advisor Bishwa Mani Subedi.
"I had a dinner meeting with comrade KP at the prime minister's residence in Baluwatar at eight yesterday night. He requested me to return back to him for party works," Gautam has stated. "I requested him to withdraw the decisions taken by the illegal meeting he held on March 12. He said the decisions cannot be taken back. I replied that I cannot come to him then. The dinner was continuing and I took my leave saying namaskar."
Oli has intensified meetings with dissident UML leaders in recent days including one-on-one meetings with Madhav Kumar Nepal, who has been holding parallel meetings, on consecutive days on Wednesday and Thursday.
Oli on Tuesday sent letters to 27 leaders giving them three days to explain why they should not be expelled from the federal parliament. They have also been warned that they can be punished any time for acting against the party and what the party claims is a popular government.
The leaders who have been asked to furnish explanation include Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal, Bhim Rawal, Ghanashyam Bhusal, Surendra Pandey, Met Mani Chaudhari, Pabitra Niroula, Jhapat Rawal, Yagya Raj Sunuwar, Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Bhawani Khapung, Birodh Khatiwada, Som Prasad Pandey, Narayan Khatiwada, Ganesh Pahari, Jaya Kumar Rai, Dipak Prakash Bhatta, Yogesh Bhattarai, Hira Chandra KC, Pushpa Kumari Karna Kayastha, Kalyani Khadka, Laxmi Kumari Chaudhari, Krishna Lal Maharjan, Sarala Kumari Yadav, Nira Devi Jairu, Ram Kuamri Jhakri and Mukunda Neupane.
Oli had earlier suspended a few leaders including Nepal from the party for six months.
The Khanal-Nepal faction on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court (SC) against Oli and the Apex Court has registered the petition on Thursday listing it for hearing on Sunday.
"We demand revocation of the so-called decision of March 12, intra-party instruction given on the basis of that decision, the action taken and to be taken against us, amendment of party statute, division of responsibilities, order related to removing obstacles as they are illegal, ill-intentioned, and against the Constitution of Nepal and the act related to political parties right from the beginning," the petition states. "We demand a mandamus ordering that the central committee elected by the ninth general convention in accordance to the UML statute be allowed to function as previously."
The petition also demands certiorari order to block the action to be taken against 27 leaders including the petitioners. It also points that they strongly suspect that Oli can expel them from the party and has sought to stop that.
