CHITWAN: Nepali Congress leader Gagan Kumar Thapa has urged Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) leaders and cadres to openly question wrongdoing within their own party in order to strengthen good governance.
Addressing RSP’s first national general convention in Chitwan on Sunday, Thapa said that a culture of unquestioned loyalty to leaders weakens accountability and democratic practice.
“We made a mistake in the past by not questioning our leaders. We placed them above scrutiny by calling them ‘ba’ and ‘dai’,” he said. “That weakened good governance.”
He urged RSP members not to remain silent when mistakes occur within the party and instead build a culture of internal questioning and accountability.
Thapa said it is often harder to fight against weaknesses within one’s own party than to compete with external political rivals, adding that the Nepali Congress itself had gone through internal struggles and reforms.
He said RSP’s public mandate is extraordinary and must be protected through democratic culture, rule-based decision-making and continuous self-reflection.
Thapa warned that political forces that once received strong public support in Nepal have previously weakened due to internal conflicts and leadership arrogance.
He clarified that although the Nepali Congress and RSP are political competitors, they are not enemies, adding that Congress would support RSP-led positive governance initiatives while opposing wrong decisions.
He also reminded young political actors of Nepal’s democratic struggles and sacrifices, saying that current freedoms exist because of past contributions and political movements.
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