Standing committee member of ruling CPN (Maoist Center) Khaga Raj Bhatta has taken swipe at Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal after being deprived of any party responsibilities.
Bhatta, who is the only standing committee member from Far West province, was removed from in-charge of Far West by the standing committee meeting that concluded on Wednesday.
Bhatta, who was fielded as contender for chief minister (CM) of Far West at the time of election, could not become CM due to coalition equation, and was even removed from parliamentary party leader by the party’s lawmakers in the provincial assembly to compound matters.
Bhatta penned an open letter to Dahal in protest on Wednesday after being left without any party responsibilities.
Talking to Setopati Bhatta has refuted allegations of under-performing as the parliamentary party leader and party in-charge. “I have not worked against advice, recommendation and instruction of Chairman Dahal after becoming parliamentary party leader. One must understand that Dahal’s instruction was also wrong if one says that I’ve done wrong,” Bhatta has argued.
He has also stressed that performance of the leadership should also be reviewed if that of other leaders is reviewed. “Should taking down the party with 229 seats to 32 seats be reviewed or not while talking about performance review? Does the main leadership of the party have any role in shrinking of such a large party or not?”
Pointing at how he competed closely with Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba in the general election in the past, he has claimed that nobody else from Far West in the party can match his stature.
He has also accused Dahal of making opinions based on complaints by others without verifying. “The first thing is the party must run in accordance to system and process. All leaders and cadres in the party should have same kind of justice. The party leadership must reach to the facts before making accusations or listening to the complaints. One must not form opinions merely on the basis of accusations made by others.”
When reminded that those publicly questioning Dahal do not seem to have any space in the party he has stated that Baburam Bhattarai, Mohan Baidya, Netra Bikram Chand and others erred by quitting in the past and stressed that the leaders should stay and fight against the wrong practices instead of quitting. “Nobody should take decision going against the system and statute formed by the party be it Dahal or anyone else.”
