Ruling CPN-UML has punished two party leaders apparently for welcoming the party’s expelled leader Bhim Rawal.
The meeting of district committee of Kailali on Saturday has punished former social development minister of Far West Krishna Raj Subedi and his son and district committee member Bhishma Subedi.
Bhishma has been expelled in a way that he does not even remain an ordinary party member while the meeting has recommended higher party committee to dole out the same punishment for Krishna.
Kailali Chairman of UML Yagya Dhungana told Setopati that the meeting could not expel Krishna who is a former provincial committee member. Krishna was provincial minister when Trilochan Bhatta of CPN (Maoist Center) was the chief minister.
Dhungana has claimed that the father and son have long been involved in anti-party activities violating party discipline for a long time. “They have lately come out in support of Bhim Rawal who was expelled by the party. We have, therefore, taken action. Party cadres must stay in discipline,” he has argued.
Bhishma has said that they have yet to receive official letter about party action and stated that they will provide official comment only after receiving one. But he has claimed that the party has become a sort of fief of Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli in recent times.
Bhishma has claimed that he and a few party cadres had welcomed Rawal, who was expelled by the party’s secretariat meeting on December 25, 2024, at the Dhangadi Airport when Rawal visited Ramaroshan Rural Municipality of Achham some time back. He has pointed that Rawal is a former deputy PM, and defense and home minister, and called party action for welcoming him shocking.
He has also questioned if the party will similarly punish UML Secretary Lekh Raj Bhatta for welcoming CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal at the Bhatta residence some time back. Pointing that Dahal had called a room in the Bhatta residence his own home, Bhishma has asked whether Bhatta will also face punishment.
Former Maoist leader Bhatta had decided to join UML after the Supreme Court on March 7, 2021 invalidated the unification of Maoist Center and UML forming CPN, and restored the two parties to the state before unification.
