Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has expelled its former general secretary Mukul Dhakal even from general party membership.
The party's central committee meeting held on Tuesday has removed Dhakal even from general membership, according to Acting Spokesperson Manish Jha.
The party’s central committee meeting on July 9 had fired Dhakal in a way that he remains party member only. He was removed from general secretary, spokesperson and central member on recommendation of the central disciplinary commission.
The party had given him 35 days to appeal against the decision if he weren't satisfied. It then sought explanation pointing that he tried to smear image and dignity of party leaders, woo away well-wishers of the party and create misconception in the party in that time instead of lodging an appeal.
Dhakal had asked why RSP should not conduct an impartial investigation against its President Rabi Lamichhane over cooperative fraud in his clarification submitted to the party on August 15.
Acting General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti on August 14 had asked Dhakal to furnish clarification within 24 hours explaining why he should not be expelled even from general party membership.
Dhakal raised questions about Lamichhane in the clarification and accused him of running the party in an autocratic manner violating the party statute. Dhakal pointed that Lamichhane did not register the letter sent by Dhakal seeking authenticated copies of the documents about punishing him and sought clarification from him instead.
He claimed that all the accusations he leveled against Lamichhane and other party leaders were based on facts and challenged Lamichhane to provide proof of morality before seeking clarification from him. "I request you to answer the questions if you are not morally degraded," Dhakal stated.
Dhakal also accused Lamichhane of repeatedly lying to the party and the people claiming that he committed no wrongdoings and he cannot be investigated.
Pointing that he himself believed Lamichhane's lies before the bench of Supreme Court (SC) Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Saranga Subedi ordered fair investigation against Lamichhane over the cooperative fraud, he asked whether Lamichhane honors the SC verdict or not, and whether Lamichhane will allow investigation even inside the party.
Dhakal stressed that the president of the party formed with the agenda of good governance should be brave enough to allow investigation on allegations leveled against him.
The letter seeking explanation also pointed that he has met leaders of other party in a conspiratorial fashion to end the party. He had recently met CPN-UML Chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and handed over a list of advice.
The party’s discipline committee on June 28 had asked Dhakal to furnish explanation within seven days for leaking his report to the media before presenting it to the party. Dhakal had claimed that he was preparing to furnish his written explanation to the central committee meeting but President Rabi Lamichhane stopped that.
Dhakal also sealed his mouth with black tape in protest claiming that Lamichhane did not heed his demand for live telecast of the central committee meeting.
The party had sent Dhakal to the districts after its candidate Milan Limbu failed to even save his guarantee in the recent by-election in Ilam-2.
He prepared the report upon completion of his field visit.
The report had proposed that the party should move forward with independent elected people’s representatives like Balen Shah, Gopal Hamal. The report had made some scathing remarks including the need to make the party RSP and not the party of Rabi Lamichhane.
