UML has accused Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat of not incorporating the UML"s suggestions and of disrespecting the party"s former leaders such as Madan Bhandari, Pushpa Lal and Manmohan Adhikari in the budget.
The party put up such a protest after its parliamentary party meeting held on Wednesday morning decided to strongly protest against the 'finance minister"s attitude toward the coalition partner."
'The budget does not show respect to UML"s spirit. So I will seriously talk to NC leadership,' UML lawmaker Krishna Bhakta Pokharel quoted UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli as saying at the meeting.
The meeting then instructed the party"s lawmakers to raise a strong voice against NC"s highhandedness during discussions on budget.
Former Finance Minister Surendra Pandey accused NC leadership of not even following basic norms of coalition culture. "This budget has shown disrespect to late Madan Bhandari, Pushpa Lal and Manmohan Adhikari,' said Pandey. 'It shows the narrow-mindedness of NC leaders.'
The Mid-Hill Highway was named after Pushpa Lal Shrestha, the founding leader of Nepal Communist Party. But Mahat named it just as Mid-Hill Highway during the budget announcement.
Pandey said Mahat used several NC leaders" names from various programs while removing Pushpa Lal, Bhandari and Adhikari "s names.
He argued that if the NC wants to name a media academy after NC leader late Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, than why is it reluctant to name social security program on senior citizens after late Manmohan Adhikari.
UML leaders objected to the announcement made in the budget for naming two trauma centers after late Madan Bhandari and NC lawmaker late Hari Khadka.
The finance minister announced to establish a trauma center in Bharatpur, Chitwan and name it after Bhandari and another in Baglung to be named after Khadka.
A lawmaker from Baglung, Khadka died in a vehicle accident in his home district last year.
UML leaders accused the finance minister of disrespecting late UML leader Bhandari by treating him on par with Khadka.
'All lawmakers from our party have been instructed to strongly protest against the NC for overlooking UML"s feedback on the budget,' UML lawmaker Bhanubhakta Dhakal told Republica. 'An appropriate decision will be taken depending on the NC"s response.'
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