KATHMANDU, Jan 28: Angered by the decision of the ruling coalition parties to endorse the disputed National Medical Education Bill by force in parliament amid its objection, the main opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC), has decided to intensify protests against the government across the country.
A Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the party on Sunday decided to hold protests in all district headquarters on February 4.
The meeting decided to take such a step against the government’s move to endorse the disputed medical education bill with force and for going back on the agreements reached in the past with medical reforms crusader Dr Govinda KC.
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The CWC meeting on Sunday denounced the government move to endorse the bill with force, “undermining the voice of the main opposition party in parliament.”
“While taking serious note of the move of endorsing the bill on Friday against established parliamentary practices and norms using marshals, the meeting strongly denounces such step,” said a press statement issued by the party after the meeting.
The protests, according to the meeting, will focus on five other issues, apart from the government’s move to forcibly endorse the bill in the parliament and its insensitive attitude toward the ongoing fast-unto-death of Dr Govinda KC.
NC plans to intensify protests against the government for the decision to ‘scrap’ GP Koirala National Respiratory Treatment Center in Tanahun and Sushil Koirala Prakhar Cancer Hospital (Banke) and its move to bypass the opposition party in the Constitutional Council meeting despite the fact that it is constitutionally mandatory to have the presence of the main opposition party in the council meeting.
Similarly, the NC plans to raise the issue of growing instances of violence, murder and rape as well as the government’s failure to resolve the case of rape and murder of Nirmala Panta.
Growing price hike of daily essentials, increasing corruption and other anti-people decisions and district-based issues will be raised during the rallies to be organized in the headquarters of all 77 districts, according to the NC press statement.
During the meeting, several CWC members including Dhan Raj Gurung and Arjun Narsingh KC had asked the party leadership to raise the issue of growing corruption and irregularities in the country strongly in their protests. The CWC meeting on Sunday also appealed to the party cadres and ordinary people for their active participation in the protests.
