A certain M Adhikari is suddenly in the news, albeit for the wrong reasons.
The name first appeared as a member of the Finance and Planning Committee of CPN-UML after the main opposition party made public a list of members of its various central departments on Tuesday.
It has since not only given rise to various speculations as to who this M Adhikari could be, but also dragged Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari along with it into controversy.
During the meeting of House of Representatives on Wednesday, lawmakers from the ruling CPN (Maoist Center) demanded investigation and action against Governor Adhikari claiming that M Adhikari is the governor himself.
Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa took a jibe at Governor Adhikari while presenting his views on the monetary policy for the upcoming fiscal year at Wednesday’s House meeting.
“All my suggestions are for Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari. I would like to apologize if the UML’s Finance and Planning Department member Mr M Adhikari thought I was addressing him,” Thapa remarked satirically.
All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary), the student wing of CPN (Maoist Center), has said that M Adhikari is the NRB governor himself and warned that it will launch an agitation if action is not taken against him.
Meanwhile, Governor Adhikari told Setopati that he is not involved with any political party.
“In fact I am not involved in any party politics anywhere. Whoever it may be, would they accept such a thing while being in a position of such great responsibility?” said the governor.
Ghanashyam Bhusal, chief of the Finance and Planning Department of UML, also said that Governor Adhikari is not a member of the department.
“Many have expressed interest and curiosity with me too regarding the involvement of Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari with the Finance and Planning Department of CPN-UML, of which I am the chief,” Bhusal wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. “Firstly, Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari himself has clarified that he is not involved in any party politics and also that the person is not him. Secondly, I would like to inform that there is no statutory provision for such individuals holding public office to be in our committees and departments.”
Now, it begs the question: who exactly is this M Adhikari said to be from Khotang?
Bishnu Rijal, deputy chief of UML’s Central Publicity Department, says M Adhikari is an active UML worker.
“M Adhikari is active in UML. He is a different person, not Governor Adhikari,” said Rijal.
Yogendra Bahadur Shahi, secretary of the Finance and Planning Committee of UML, said that he, too, does not know M Adhikari personally.
“I’ve heard that he is in some NGO/INGO,” Shahi told Setopati. “We have our department’s meeting tomorrow, we’ll get acquainted if he comes to the meeting.”
