Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Tuesday had said the government has been compelled to work as per UDMF´s wishes in order to overcome the difficulties of November 30.[break]
“What the prime minister has said about the UDMF is non-political. It´s not-political maturity shown by him (prime minister),” said Gupta, who is also Chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Republica (MPRF-R), while addressing a press conference in Birgunj on Wednesday morning. He accused the prime minister of forgetting UDMF´s support after overcoming bad days.
“He agreed with UDMF earlier and now he is making such remarks. This is a political dishonesty of the prime minister,” said Gupta adding, “We will seek clarification from him (prime minister) on the matter.”
He warned that the Madhesi alliance will reconsider about its participation in the government if the Maoist party rethinks about the four-point agreement reached between UCPN (Maoist) and UDMF on August 29. The present coalition government was formed after the four-point agreement. Gupta said a government of national consensus led by any major party will be acceptable to the UDMF.
However, he said UDMF will join such a government only if the major parties agree to implement the four-point agreement, stating that the four-point agreement will be the pre-condition for UDMF to join the government.
CIAA controversy
In another context, Gupta accused former Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Suryanath Upadhyay of filling false cases against him (Gupta) as he was the right hand man of the then king Gyanendra Shah. “However, the Special Court has acquitted him giving clean chit in the two cases,” stated Gupta.
Gupta said, “Upadhyay expressed concerns over my membership in the Constitutional Council (CC) as he (Upadhyay) does not like me.” Former bureaucrats including Upadhyay on Tuesday had submitted a memorandum to the prime minister demanding removal of Gupta as the member of CC.
Meanwhile, Madhesi rights activists have expressed concern over the demand of the former bureaucrats to remove Gupta from the CC. Writing an open letter to the prime minister on Wednesday, they said that one can not be guilty until the court convicts him.
Stating that the Special Court has already given clean chit to Gupta, the letter reads, “The move seems to assassinate Gupta´s character and to influence the case. It is regretful to publish such a memorandum in the name of civil society.” They said that it is nonsense to argue that one who is capable to be a lawmaker and minister can not be a member of the CC.
“It is like not respecting the opinion of Madhesi people by assassinating the character of a leader elected by the people,” reads the letter written to the prime minister.
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