KATHMANDU: Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s statement on the Venezuelan political crisis has drawn flak from the main opposition, Nepali Congress.

Labeling Dahal’s statement as “immature,” the NC lambasted the ruling party of issuing a statement that is “against Nepal’s national interest.” A parliamentary party meeting of the party on Sunday criticized Dahal’s strong-worded statement, which had earlier slammed the US government for intervening in the internal affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

A statement issued after the meeting said that the NC expresses serious concern over Dahal’s stance on the Venezuelan political crisis. Meanwhile, addressing the parliament, NC youth leader Gagan Thapa came down heavily on the government and the Chairman of NCP for issuing an irresponsible and unwarranted statement on the political crisis in Venezuela. However, the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has been defending Dahal’s statement saying that the political crisis in Venezuela has to be “resolved internally.”

Meanwhile, the US had inquired about the statement with Nepal’s ambassador to USA Arjun Karki at the Department of State in Washington DC. The US government, which dubbed Dahal’s statement as ‘unfair’ also sought clarification from some senior leaders of the ruling NCP asking whether Dahal’s statement reflected the government’s position.

Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) statement, which has stressed on the need for resolving the political crisis in Venezuela without “external interference” has failed to impress the US officials.