Nepal: PM Prachanda’s remarks about ‘Indian businessman’ stir up storm; Opposition demands his resignation

The shocking claims made by Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal from the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-MC), that an Indian businessman living in the country “once made efforts” to install him as the premier has sparked outrage in the Himalayan nation, with the opposition calling for his resignation. PM Dahal is popularly known as Prachanda.

PM Prachanda made the remarks during a book launch event of ‘Roads to the Valley: The Legacy of Sardar Pritam Singh in Nepal’ on July 2. The book is written by the daughter of Sardar Pritam Singh, Kiran Deep Sandhu.

During the event, Prachanda added that Sardar Pritam Singh, a pioneering businessman in the trucking industry in Nepal, greatly aided the development of Nepal-India relations. After leaving India years ago, the family of an Indian-origin businessman settled in Nepal and has made a name in the business community.

According to Prachanda, Singh lobbied for his appointment as prime minister in Delhi and Kathmandu almost eight years ago. He stated, “He (Singh) had once made efforts to make me the prime minister”.

Prachanda added, “He travelled to Delhi several times and held multiple rounds of talks with political leaders in Kathmandu to make me the prime minister”.

His remark has created a storm among the opposition and disrupted the proceedings in both the lower and upper Houses of Nepal. The opposition is demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister because of his comments.

On July 5, the lawmakers of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) rose from their seats. They protested the PM’s remarks in the Nepalese parliament.

During a parliamentary session in the lower house, UML lawmaker Raghuji Panta stated PM Prachanda’s remarks had hurt the country’s pride and prestige and he should step down immediately.

Pant stated, “He (Prime Minister) said, and I am quoting him, ‘He (Pritam Singh) once made a lot of efforts to make me Prime Minister, went to Delhi many times.’ Should he go to Delhi or to fellow Nepalese citizens to be PM?”.

Pant added, “I demand that in light of what the Prime Minister said, he has lost the moral authority to remain in his post and should resign”. He said, “The prime minister should resign on moral grounds. We don’t need a prime minister appointed by Delhi”. The legislator demanded that the parliament doesn’t take up any matter for discussion till PM Prachanda resigns. Following Pant’s speech, the UML and other opposition party lawmakers stood up in support.

While talking to the media, the Chairman of CPN-UML, KP Sharma Oli, who was also the former PM, stated that he didn’t want a clarification but a resignation from PM Prachanda. Oli stated, “his (Prachanda) remarks have given a blow to national independence, dignity, the Constitution and the parliament itself”.

Oli said, “He has undermined the role of the sovereign parliament and the people’s verdicts”.

Amid protests from the opposition benches, the proceedings of the upper house were postponed till 1 PM, July 6. Similarly, the proceeding of the lower house was postponed till 3 PM, July 7.

Slogans such as “A Prime Minister appointed by New Delhi does not have the right to continue in the post” were screamed by members of the opposition parties, CPN-UML and the RPP.

Apart from the opposition, the ruling parties have also voiced their dissatisfaction with the remarks made by PM Prachanda. Bishwa Prakash Sharma, an ally from the Nepali Congress party, stated, “The prime minister’s remarks are worthy of criticism. His remarks are wrong”.

Meanwhile, PM Prachanda tried to give clarification for his remarks on July 5 and stated, “it has been misinterpreted to cause a stir”. Even the secretary of CPN-MC, Ganesh Shah, tried to do damage control and said “In my opinion, the Prime Minister might not intend to indicate India’s intervention in Nepal’s internal politics. But he should have used political and diplomatic words in a cautious manner while speaking about such a sensitive issue”.

This is not the first time Nepal’s top leaders have stirred up controversy with their careless comments on delicate subjects like geopolitics, bilateral relations, and other national matters.