KATHMANDU: Former Deputy Inspector General of Nepal Police Ramesh Kharel has blamed Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba for the party’s split, saying his refusal to give up power even at the age of 80 pushed the party into division.
In a strongly worded Facebook post on Thursday, Kharel criticized the conduct of the Deuba faction and said the demand for leadership change in the Nepali Congress is not just from party members but from the country as a whole.
“At the age of 80, Deuba’s unwillingness to let go of power is what caused the Congress to split. The entire responsibility lies with Sher Bahadur and company,” Kharel wrote. “The call for leadership change in the Congress is not only from Congress supporters, but from the nation. Everyone who believes in democracy wants to see new leadership in the Congress.”
Kharel also expressed anger over the Deuba camp’s decision to take disciplinary action against General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma while the Special General Convention was underway. Calling the action “highly condemnable,” he questioned the authority of the Central Working Committee to punish elected office bearers after the convention process had already begun.
“Once the Special General Convention had started, the Central Committee had already lost its legitimacy. On what basis did those leaders decide to take disciplinary action?” he asked.
Stressing that democracy is fundamentally about the will of the majority, Kharel said a leadership that cannot respect the mandate of a Special General Convention called by a majority of party members cannot be considered democratic.
He also drew a sharp parallel with Deuba’s past, noting that the Nepali Congress president was once declared an “incompetent prime minister” by then King Gyanendra, and now, according to Kharel, Deuba has again failed to read the changing mood of society after the Gen-Z movement.
“At a time when public trust in old parties is eroding after the Gen-Z movement, this Special General Convention could have given the Congress a new lease of life. Deuba could have taken a dignified exit by participating in it. But he chose not to, and the result is what we see today. The height of shamelessness was seen in the decision to punish leaders like Gagan and Bishwa,” he wrote.
Kharel said Deuba had missed a historic opportunity to step aside with dignity by taking part in the convention.
He went on to express support for the new leadership that emerged from the Special General Convention, saying the future of the party now lies with Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma.
“Congratulations to Gagan and Bishwa. The Congress now belongs to Gagan and Bishwa. Best wishes to everyone who participated in the Special General Convention and took responsibility to make the party stronger. A strong Congress means a strong democracy, and that ultimately benefits the country,” Kharel added.
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