KATHMANDU: A speech delivered in the House of Representatives of Nepal by Ram Bahadur Thapa has triggered internal debate within the CPN-UML.
Party Vice Chair Bishnu Prasad Paudel said Thapa’s remarks were against the party’s established policies and principles and would be seriously reviewed in the party’s central secretariat meeting.
In a reaction posted on social media on Thursday, Paudel clarified that the views expressed by Thapa in his capacity as the parliamentary party leader in the House do not represent the party’s official stance.
He said the matter will be discussed thoroughly at the central secretariat meeting scheduled for Friday, where an appropriate decision will be taken.
Meanwhile, UML Deputy General Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai also clarified the party’s ideological position, stating that People’s Multiparty Democracy remains the party’s guiding principle.
Bhattarai said UML’s core policy is to achieve superiority through democratic competition and to build the foundation for socialism through peaceful and constitutional means.
He added that although the party is currently in opposition, it maintains respect and trust toward state institutions, including the Nepali Army, the judiciary, constitutional bodies and the civil service.
Earlier in the House meeting, Thapa had made sarcastic remarks regarding the electoral victory of the Rastriya Swatantra Party in the March 5 elections.
He had mockingly congratulated various forces and institutions, as well as those he referred to as “villains” of the September 8-9 Gen-Z Movement, for the party’s victory.
Thapa also sarcastically suggested that institutions such as the Nepali Army, security agencies, the Barbara Foundation and even Artificial Intelligence had contributed to creating a favorable environment for the Rastriya Swatantra Party.
He further claimed that the Bhadra protests were carried out under the unofficial leadership of the party.
Referring to it as an institutional victory of a “Blue Revolution,” Thapa said a new political chapter began with the oath-taking of the government led by Balen Shah on March 27.
He also raised questions about the incidents of arson at Singha Durbar, the parliament building, the Supreme Court and Baluwatar during the protests.
Following Thapa’s remarks, formal discussions have begun within the UML, with party leaders signaling that the issue is being taken seriously.
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