KATHMANDU: A unification announcement between the Janamat Party and the Nagarik Unmukti Party took place at Pragya Bhawan (Nepal Academy) in Kamaladi, but it was marred by an unexpected incident.
Nagarik Unmukti Party Patron Resham Chaudhary was arrested by plainclothes policemen just before the event. His sudden arrest sparked shock and outrage among party leaders and activists, who began chanting slogans against the government, accusing it of conspiring to derail the unity between the Tharus and Madhesis.
Following Resham’s arrest, party leaders from both Janamat and Nagarik Unmukti Party were left stranded and decided to protest in the streets. After spending five hours in jail, Resham was released.
The arrest came amid escalating tensions, with accusations of political vendetta being leveled against the ruling Nepali Congress and UML parties.
Lalbir Chaudhary, an MP from Bardiya Constituency No. 2 and father of Resham Chaudhary, spoke with Khabarhub about the events that unfolded on Wednesday and the future of party unity. Here’s an edited excerpt from the conversation:
Didn’t you face a major crisis on Wednesday when Janamat and Nagarik Unmukti Party announced their unity?
It was like something out of a movie. We spent the entire night discussing the incident with leaders from both parties. The more we analyzed, the more we concluded that this wasn’t the fault of ordinary employees. The full details will emerge in time.
Were there any indications of Resham’s arrest beforehand?
No, there was no information. It came as a complete surprise. The way he was taken—plainclothes policemen acting like kidnappers—was shocking.
Such things didn’t even happen during the Rana and king regimes. If we had known, we would have gone to the police ourselves. This was a deliberate conspiracy, using employees to carry out the arrest.
Some rumors suggest that the arrest might have been orchestrated by someone within your own party. Do you suspect this?
As of now, there’s no evidence of internal sabotage, but we do have our suspicions. We believe this is politically motivated, and the blame lies with the big parties in the government, not within the party itself.
Has the government shown any interest in the incident?
We’ve heard nothing from the government. They haven’t provided any information or clarification. The Supreme Court’s statement was the only official communication.
What about Mahiman Singh, the officer involved in the arrest? What did he say in his statement?
We don’t have the full details yet, as it’s under police investigation, but the truth will eventually come out. It’s clear that something doesn’t add up here.
Given everything that has happened, when will the party unification take place?
The unity process has been temporarily halted due to the incident. However, we are still committed to unifying within this month. We are analyzing everything that happened, and party unity will happen as planned.
Will both parties, Janamat and Nagarik Unmukti Party, leave the government together?
There hasn’t been a comprehensive discussion on this yet, but after the events of Wednesday, it’s very likely that we’ll both leave the government together. Discussions are ongoing.
Is the Janamat Party on board with leaving the government?
Yes, they are with us. We have discussed this and will likely make a joint decision, whether to stay or leave. Our decisions are collective, and no one is imposing anything on anyone.
Who is leading the party meetings in the absence of party chairperson Ranjita Shrestha?
Currently, Ganganarayan Chaudhary, the leader of the parliamentary party, is leading the meetings. The leadership is operating collectively, and the party is continuing its work despite the chairperson’s hospitalization.
Will the MPs from both parties raise the issue in the House?
Yes, both the Janamat and Nagarik Unmukti Party MPs will speak about Wednesday’s incident in the House. The party chairpersons have already discussed it and given their approval for us to raise our voices on the issue.
Comment