KATHMANDU, June 30: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has sought an explanation from its General Secretary Mukul Dhakal over an “inappropriate” report he recently submitted to the party. An office–bearer of RSP said that the RSP Disciplinary Commission has sought an explanation from Dhakal. “An explanation has been sought as the report is not appropriate. It is not the time to review it now,” he said. The RSP is preparing to take action if Dhakal does not give a satisfactory explanation.
Dhakal had submitted the report to RSP Chairman Rabi Lamichhane on Wednesday after visiting 38 different districts in a month. Following the submission of the report, the dispute in RSP is at its peak. According to the report, the RSP should review itself and it should ally not with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli but with the mayors of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Balendra Shah, and Dhangadi Sub-Metropolitan City Gopi Hamal. Dhakal said that there was factionalism in the party and bad politics was played against him. He also said that he could lose the post of the party’s General Secretary and could even be removed from the party because of the report.
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According to the report, the RSP will not even become a national party in the 2084 elections. Dhakal has questioned RSP Chairman Lamichhane in the report. He demanded that the RSP should be purified and the purification process should start at the level of the party chairman. Dhakal believes that the RSP has reached the situation of the Bibeksheel party and if things were not improved immediately, it will fare worse than the Bibeksheel Sajha party. Dhakal also argued that the ministers of the RSP in the government should justify staying in the government.
Leaders of the Lamichhane faction are angry that Dhakal brought out various issues against the party even before submitting the report to Chairman Lamichhane. The demand for action against him started on Wednesday. However, some leaders are of the opinion that action should not be taken on the basis of the report. Deputy leader of the RSP parliamentary party, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha , who is also the Minister for Youth and Sports, said that although the General Secretary’s report was a matter of discussion, no action would be taken.” Shrestha further said, “I had already said there should be a review. Now the general secretary has said that. This report will be discussed in the central committee. No action will be taken,” Shrestha said.
The RSP has called a central committee meeting for July 3. He has been handed a clarification letter ahead of that. The clarification which was sought on Friday afternoon has already reached Dhakal’s secretariat. RSP Chairman Lamichhane has made preparations to take action if Dhakal does not give a satisfactory explanation.
There has been a stir in the RSP after the General Secretary’s Report. The RSP has been embroiled in controversy since the selection of proportional candidates for the 2022 House of Representatives elections. Lamichhane was criticized within the RSP after his name was linked to the misappropriation of cooperative funds. Dhakal’s report has further shocked Lamichhane, who is facing problems due to the cooperative scandal.
The RSP leaders are divided between those in favor of the report and those against it. According to RSP leaders, the party has become crisis-oriented. “At a time when we couldn’t work in a way that we felt, it seems that we made a mistake. But, the general secretary has already said that the report is personal. It will not be discussed in the central committee if the chairman does not consider it necessary,” said lawmaker Ganesh Parajuli, adding that Lamichhane was not in favor of forwarding Dhakal’s report. Dhakal, however, demanded that his report be made public immediately.
