Mahato arguing that the Jhalanath Khanal led government enjoys only a “caretaker status” said it does not have the right to bring the new budget. [break]
´”I believe the government will not repeat an accident similar to the one that took place under the Madhav Kumar-led government last year while trying to unveil the new budget,” he warned.
Maoists lawmakers had manhandled then finance minister Surendra Pandey while he was about to present new budget in parliament last year. “When the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led caretaker government was not allowed to bring the new budget how can Jhalanath Khanal-led government be allowed to do so?” Mahato said.
Asked what kind of protests the party would stage if the budget is brought without its consent, Mahato said the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) would take a decision on the nature of protests.
Arguing that the caretaker government should not have taken any important decisions, he also criticized the government´s recent decision to transfer more than five dozen police officials.
Mahato also urged Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal to step down to pave way for the formation of a national consensus government.
Meanwhile, Sadbhawna Party is all set to organize a national conference and orientation program of its 21 sister wings in Bhairahawa starting Monday.
“The conference will also chalk out the party´s future strategy,” Mahato said while addressing a press meet in Kathmandu on Saturday. Some 1200 party leaders and cadres are expected to participate in the three-day conference.
In a separate context, Mahato condemned the attack on Biratnagar-based Republica correspondent Khilanath Dhakal and demanded that the government bring the guilty to book. “It is unfortunate that the cadres of ruling party were involved in the attack,” Mahato added. He also accused the CPN-UML of trying to stifle press freedom.
“On the one hand it advocates freedom of expression while on the other its cadres are attacking journalists,” he added.
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