KATHMANDU: A growing dispute has erupted within the All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary), or ANNISU-R, the student wing of CPN (Maoist Center), as factions clash over leadership and the imposition of an age limit.
The dispute intensified during the National Conference’s closed session held in Kirtipur, Kathmandu.
The conflict centers around the race for new leadership, with prominent student leaders such as Dipesh Pun, Pawan Karki, and Naresh Regmi vying for the top position.
Each candidate has garnered support from various Maoist officials, further intensifying the internal power struggle.
The age limit debate has sparked particular tension, leading to a fight between rival groups during the session. In a video that has surfaced, chaos can be seen as groups clashed, with police struggling to control the situation.
In the video, students outside the crowd can be heard chanting ‘Hit, hit, hit’.
The controversy gained momentum after Maoist Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, addressed the issue of an age limit during the conference’s inauguration. He had called the leaders to Khumaltar and asked them to decide through a vote on the options of setting the age limit at 28, 30, or 32 years.
Following Prachanda’s directive to settle the matter through a democratic vote, the conference transitioned into a closed session.
However, despite four days of discussions, the conference has been overshadowed by disagreements. The closed session, which was intended to resolve the age limit issue, instead escalated into a larger factional conflict.
Eyewitnesses reported that tensions flared to the point where one representative took out a knife during a heated exchange. The dispute continues to divide the student body, with one group pushing for the age limit’s implementation while others vehemently oppose it.
As the 23rd National Conference of the revolutionaries continues, the future of Akhil Krantikari’s leadership remains uncertain, and the internal conflict over the age limit has only deepened.
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