KATHMANDU, July 27: Nepali Congress lawmaker Minendra Rijal questioned the rationale of the government to force Dr. Govinda KC for his 15th hunger strike when it eventually had to agree with the demands.
“If the government eventually had to agree with Dr. KC’s demands, why did it force him to start a strike?,” Rijal questioned as he added that the government’s attitude had led to delays – a delay in regular parliamentary proceedings, violence in Jumla and waves of protests in Kathmandu and across the nation.
People's representative on hunger strike demanding electricity
Rijal said that the victory of Dr. KC’s demands was a win for the country, its citizens and sovereignty. “This shows that democracy is always with the people and the elected must bow down to popular demands,” Rijal said.
“This is an important lesson that the government must learn: Just because you have the majority to change the constitution doesn’t mean that you can disobey the constitution. Moreover, when issues of public interests are concerned, the government would still fail, even if it resorts to force.”
Rijal also questioned why the government was ignorant to the law which has maintained that the speaker and deputy speaker of the federal parliament cannot be of the same party. “The government says no one is above the law and that it would protect the country’s sovereignty. However, why is it doing things that are contrary to its remarks?” the Nepali Congress’s leader said.
