Dr Minendra Rijal, Leader- Nepali Congress
The cadres of ruling party Nepal Communist Party (NCP) have tried to attack leader Dr Minendra Rijal of Nepali Congress and Member of Parliament at Rishing Village Municipality of Tanahu district on Sunday. Dr Rijal was on the way to inaugurate Village Municipality building there. He had to wait for nearly three hours, but he was adamant to reach in the program. Dr Rijal blamed that the NCP cadres were getting full support from the local administration. The cadres were armed with beer bottle and baton.
Dr Rijal shared with the journalists about the situation:
What has happened there in Tanahu?
The local NCP cadres fell trees in many places on the road to obstruct our visit, but we moved ahead. The program at Rishing was already fixed and people were waiting there. I saw some 150 people gathered around, and they were holding beer bottles, stone and baton. Some of them threw beer bottle and stone towards us.
Why were they trying to attack you? How long did you face such situation?
They were throwing beer bottle and stone for nearly three hours. We did not went back, but standing. In the mean time, our friends arrived. Friends rescued us, we survived. After more friends and villagers arrived, they had to disperse. Then we organized our program with huge crowd, and the Village Municipality building inauguration program succeeded.
Was there no administrative presence?
I think they carried out such heinous attack with the support of police and administration. Because we found that the local administration was very supportive to ruling party cadres.
Why were they try to attack you?
If there is threat on constitution and democracy, it is from the current government. The government is scared after no such important works. This is the outcome of weak mentality of the party and the government, and they are trying to attack opposition.
Are you talking with the Prime Minister KP Oli and NCP Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on this matter?
Why do I talk? Is it a matter of asking for help? What will happen in other places where Nepali Congress was not winning? We want to show that we are not so weak. We have been witnessing and feeling the revision of Mandalekaran (undemocratic exercise of power using party cadres). We will not be silent if such attacks immediately stopped.
Will Nepali Congress protest against this attack?
We have to safeguard the constitution. We have a big role to protect democracy. For that, we will fight at any cost. We will not move away from these type of terrorism.
Meanwhile Nepali Congress Senior Leader Ram Chandra Poudel published a statement and condemned the attack. He blamed that the attack was carried out with the support from government machinaries.
