Kathmandu, Oct 30: Since the day he was ousted from power, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda,’ Chairman of the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist Centre), has been aggressive towards the government, particularly against CPN UML Chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
During his speech at the protest rally on Kartik 10, he voiced his frustration with the government’s recent actions and its failure to address corruption scandals. He also launched scathing attacks against Prime Minister Oli, primarily resorting to personal insults that came across as awkward and mean-spirited.
It’s not unusual for politicians to attack each other after a coalition government collapses. In recent Nepali politics, leaders often engage in flattery when in alliance and resort to blame when they part ways. The mass meeting was no different.
While Prachanda delivered a speech that likely earned him applause, the public has not seen significant achievements from such gatherings. However, he brought up an unexpected topic during the address, stating that opponents have spread rumors about him meeting former King Gyanendra Shah.
But, the cadres didn’t expect to hear from their charismatic supreme leader at the Brikutimandap gathering. Prachanda alluded to claims that he met Gyanendra in Jhapa and Kathmandu. However, most of the cadres believed that Prachanda was desparate to meeting with the former king.
He asserted that there are efforts to tarnish his reputation by claiming he met Gyanendra. He said, “There are rumors that I met Gyanendra Shah in Kathmandu. Some say I met him in Jhapa when I was there. A senior journalist even questioned who has influenced his thinking regarding my supposed meeting with Gyanendra Shah.”
He further added, “Is it right to say that someone preparing for another revolution to protect federal democratic republic has met Gyanendra?”
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. However, in politics, it appears that one must shake the tree to show that the leaves are moving. Prachanda attempted to do just that during the gathering.
But why did Prachanda bring this issue up? This question was on the minds of his supporters as they left the meeting. Not only the supporters but this topic has become a subject of discussion in various political circles.
News outlet newspolar.com received information from a confidential source claiming that Prachanda had attempted to meet the former king in Nagarkot during the last week of the Nepali month of Bhadra. Similarly, there were attempts to meet in Jhapa during the first week of Ashoj. Sources indicated that Prachanda had even coordinated tickets for the same flight while returning from Bhadrpur to Kathmandu. However, due to bad weather, he flew back to Kathmandu that evening, while the former king arrived the following day. Prachanda did not mention this in the gathering.
Sources close to former King Gyanendra have informed that the former king himself was reluctant to meet with Prachanda. Even, ormer King Gyanendra did not personally meet with leaders from major political parties, including the Nepali Congress and CPN UML. Prachanda used to portray Prithvi Narayan Shah as founder of the country and nationalists. In the past, he had appreciated former King Birendra as nationalist and visionary.
Journalist Kishor Nepal recently tweeted, “For many, it might seem unbelievable that the ‘Chief Commander’ of the people’s war and the first Prime Minister of the federal democratic republic, Prachanda, met former King Gyanendra Shah. However, sometimes the truth can remain wrapped in falsehood.”
After Prachanda expressed dissatisfaction regarding Nepal’s claims, the senior journalist Nepal reiterated his assertion on Saturday, tweeting, “During the meeting, the respected community heard Prachanda loudly proclaim that he has not met the former king. If he hadn’t, there would be no need to shout it out to the public. Perhaps this is a strategic statement from Prachanda.”
It is often said that there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics. What seems impossible can become reality. If the melody that Prachanda has played among his supporters takes shape one day, it would not be surprising. He is still keen on meeting the former king, suggesting that the day of this potential meeting may not be far off. #gyanendra #prachanda #shah #FormerKing #nepal
