Speaking at a book launch event on Monday, Nepali PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda said that an Indian businessman paid several visits to New Delhi to make him the PM of Nepal, stirring major controversy in the Himalayan country.
Opposition leaders obstructed proceedings in both houses of the Nepali Parliament on Wednesday over Prachanda’s alleged remarks, with many demanding a resignation from the PM.
#Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal #Prachanda's stunning remarks that an Indian businessman settled here "once made efforts" to make him the Premier has stirred up a storm in the Himalayan Nation with the Opposition demanding his resignation. https://t.co/FZ8taBd5ey
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) July 6, 2023
The Controversial Remarks
Prachanda made the comments while addressing a function during the launch of the biography ‘Roads to the Valley: The Legacy of Sardar Pritam Singh in Nepal,’ written by Kirandeep Sandhu.
While felicitating Indian businessman Sardar Pritam Singh, who has been settled in Nepal for the last six decades and runs a private transport business, Prachanda said, “[Singh] had once made efforts to make me the prime minister.”
The Nepali PM remarked, “[Singh] reached Delhi several times and held multiple rounds of talks with political leaders in Kathmandu to make me the prime minister.” Prachanda also appreciated Singh’s special and historic role in enhancing Nepal-India relations.
Dahal’s comments are under fire as he is accused of insinuating that Delhi can decide who becomes Nepal’s prime minister.
#Nepal PM #PushpaKamalDahalPrachanda's stunning remarks that an Indian businessman settled here "once made efforts" to make him the premier has stirred up a storm in the Himalayan Nation with the Opposition demanding his resignation.https://t.co/GREaHH2eBe
— The Telegraph (@ttindia) July 6, 2023
Opposition Demands Resignation
Nepal’s main opposition party, CPN-UML, objected to the PM’s comments and sought his resignation during Wednesday’s meeting at the National Assembly.
CPN-UML chairman and former PM KP Oli said, “The Prime Minister did not do a good job. By doing bad things, he insulted the national self-respect, independence, the Constitution, and the Parliament through such expressions.” “We need resignation, not clarification,” Oli remarked.
Several Nepali leaders have said that the PM undermined the prestige and dignity of the country and needs to step down.
The House of Representative and National Assembly meetings were deferred on Wednesday after opposition parties, including CPN-UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party, and Rashtriya Prajatantra Party, obstructed the proceedings.
Prachanda to Issue Clarification
A meeting of the ruling parties on Thursday concluded that the PM does not need to resign and should present his views in the Parliament. The leaders reached an agreement to this effect at the meeting and said that the PM should furnish his clarification from the Parliament rostrum.
Meanwhile, the Nepali PM has accused the opposition of distorting his remarks and said that the opposition was misinterpreting his comments to cause a stir.
Prachanda clarified his statement at a training event organised by All Nepal National Independent Students Union on Wednesday. The Nepali PM explained that what he said about Singh was quoted from the book written by Kirandeep Sandhu, and he only wanted to show that Singh was not only interested in social service and the transport business but also in politics.