Valley
RJP-N threatens to pullout of government over minister row
Leaders of the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal have warned of withdrawing support to PM KP Sharma Oli-led government and launching a protest if Abhiram Sharma, Province 2 state minister for social development, is arrested.Leaders of the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal have warned of withdrawing support to PM KP Sharma Oli-led government and launching a protest if Abhiram Sharma, Province 2 state minister for social development, is arrested.
The party has claimed that “fake” charges levelled against the party’s leaders and cadres including Sharma were a political issue, which needed to be dealt with politically.
The Janakpur High Court has written to the Mahottari District Police Office to arrest Sharma, accused in the 2015 murder of Armed Police Force Assistant Sub-inspector Thaman BK in Jaleshwor during the Madhes Movement.
Sharma was recently inducted to the Province 2 Cabinet. On July 11, Chief Minister of Province 2 Lalbabu Raut administered the oath to Sharma after the RJP-N selected him and other two others for state minister roles.
Sharma, who is on the most wanted list, was elected to the Provincial Assembly from Mahottari. Sharma had run in the provincial election by using the power of attorney. The party leadership has already presented a seven-point memorandum to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, urging him to withdraw the cases against RJP-N leaders and cadres including lawmaker-elect Resham Chaudhary. “Though we’ve not taken any official decision on the issue of state minister Sharma, there would be no option but to protest if he is arrested,” a senior RJP-N leader warned.
The party rank and file presses the RJP-N leadership to withdraw its support to the government and take to the streets, leaders claimed. According to senior leader Rajkishor Yadav, the RJP-N presidium would meet soon to discuss Sharma’s case, among other issues.