KATHMANDU: Intra-party feuds resurfaced in the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (NCP), after President and Prime Minister KP Oli fiercely accused India of attempting to overthrow its government.
During the Party's ongoing Standing Committee meeting on Tuesday at the official residence of the Prime Minister in Baluwatar, party leaders including Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' univocally said senior leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal were seeking resignation from PM Oli, not from the southern neighbour.
"India didn't demand your resignation, I have asked for it. You can't rebuff the rules and regulations of the party, "said a member of a standing committee quoting top-notch members telling the prime minister.
"You say India has demanded that you resign. No, in the past as well as now, I have asked you to resign both as PM and party chairman, "the leaders told PM Oli.
Sources said they had engaged Prachanda and PM Oli in a heated discussion.
Prachanda told the meeting that everyone would realize that the job of keeping the Prime Minister or replacing him from within the party will be completed.
Prachanda even accused Oli by speaking out against India, of tarnishing the image of the party.
"You tarnished the party 's reputation by speaking out against India. Struggling with India can not handle foreign ties, "Prachanda said.
In response, Prime Minister Oli questioned how Indian media carried out exactly what was said at the party meeting, sources said.
"How exactly did our meeting with the Indian media match and what was reported? There should also be a serious debate about this, "Oli contrasted with Prachanda.
After that, Prachanda said he had requested that Oli resign both as prime minister and chairman of the party not India.
Last week, Prime Minister Oli blamed India for attempting to overthrow his government and hacking ploys against him.
Dubbing the issue as 'serious,' Dahal, Nepal, and Khanal said that the party needed serious debate.
"It has some significance as these accusations have come from a prime minister," a member of the standing committee quoted the three senior leaders as saying.
The remarks by PM Oli that accused India of hatching plot to overthrow his government had drawn strong criticism and confusion among the general public.
PM Oli had said that even thinking of ousting him would be a day-dream simply because he took a bold move to release a revised map that angered India.
"I heard that meetings and seminars were being held in India against the decision of Nepal to amend the constitution by inserting the revised map into the arms coat," he said.
"But that won't make any difference," he had said on Sunday at a program at the official residence of the PM in Baluwatar.