KATHMANDU: Former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai faced backlash and was forced to leave a public event mid-session after his comments on the armed conflict drew strong objections from victims’ families.
Speaking at a civic discussion on “The Impact of Transitional Justice on Human Rights and Democracy,” organized by the Human Rights Organization of Nepal in Kathmandu, Bhattarai stated that both the state and the then-rebel Maoist forces should share equal responsibility in concluding the peace process.
He emphasized that the armed conflict involved two sides—the state army and the rebel army—and claimed that around 17,000 people had died during the insurgency.
Bhattarai, who now leads the Nepal Socialist Party (Naya Shakti), remarked that, compared to conflicts in other parts of the world where “hundreds of thousands or millions” had died, the Nepali conflict saw “only” 17,000 deaths.
This statement sparked outrage among conflict victims present at the event. They accused Bhattarai of making an insensitive and irresponsible comment, especially given his former role as a top leader in the Maoist movement. The protest escalated to the point where Bhattarai was compelled to leave the stage before the program concluded.
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