Officials at the president´s office said the head-of-state avoided the function due to some controversial activities done by the organizer. [break]
"The president was scheduled to attend the function. But he canceled after we found the organizers misusing national flags," Lalit Basnet, personal secretary of President Yadav, told myrepublica.com.
The organizers displayed the national flags alongside the organization´s flags along the roads in the capital in a manner practiced during official visits by foreign heads of state or government. Basnet said the president´s office realized that misusing national flags by NGOs´ in their activities was an act of disgrace.
Also, Prime Minister Nepal avoided Saturday´s event although he had inaugurated the festival on Friday.
The organizers claimed that the event was endorsed by Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction and several organizations including Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Nepal Tourism Board were involved in it.
Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Rakam Chemjong and senior leaders from various political parties attended the event.
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