Kathmandu: Nepali Congress on Thursday warned that it will launch nationwide protests if the government fails to execute a Supreme Court verdict sentencing to life a Maoist lawmaker.
“We ask the government to withdraw its decision seeking pardon from President Ram Baran Yadav for Maoist lawmaker Balkrishna Dhungel, convicted in the murder he had committed during the decade long insurgency,” NC president Sushil Koirala said.
“If the government does not help to execute the court decision, the Nepali Congress will launch nationwide agitation against the move,” he warned here at a function to mark the 96th birth anniversary of Ganesh Man Singh, the hero of the 1990 People’s Movement that restored multiparty democracy.
Dhungel was convicted by Okhaldhunga District Court in the murder of Ujjwal Prasad Shrestha during the decade long conflict slapping a life term on him. The Supreme Court on January 2010 upheld the life term but Dhungel has not been arrested yet.
A meeting of the Council of Ministers Tuesday made a decision to ask the president for pardoning the punishment saying that Dhungel’s case belongs to the conflict era and is of “political nature”. “Ganesh Man Singh fought for his whole life to establish democracy and rule of law in the country, and we call upon the government to punish the convicted lawmaker by following the path shown by Singh,” Koirala said.
At the same function, Chairman of Constituent Assembly Subhash Nemwang called upon the government and the political parties to sincerely work for concluding the peace process and drafting of the new constitution on time so that people should not have to launch another fight for democracy.
Nepali Congress general secretary Prakash Man Singh underlined the need to forge collaboration between democratic and leftist forces for institutionalising the achievements of the People’s Movement of 2006 that subsequently abolished monarchy by following the path shown by great democratic leader Ganesh Man.
Koirala also honoured street singer Rubin Gandharva with People’s Movement Gold Medal for his outstanding contribution to raise public awareness through songs during the Movement. (PTI)