Nepal opposition protests against govt’s apathy

Kathmandu, December 14 (ANI): Nepal on Monday was rocked by anti-government protests organised by the opposition Nepali Congress, which condemned the ruling government’s apathy towards democratic values.
“At the hour of the pandemic, this government could not deliver anything to its public. Vaccines for coronavirus should be distributed free of cost, but they (government) are now planning to give it to private firms and it is a major issue that should be challenged. The government has fallen off the track and is sweeping the systems along with it. In order to bring it back to the track, we have hit the streets and are confident that we would rectify this course of action,” Surendra Manandhar, one of the demonstrators, told ANI.
In Kathmandu, thousands of people took to the streets from various locations and later convened a corner assembly in Shanti Batika near Rani Pokhari. The Nepali Congress has claimed that at least a million people would take to the streets from all 77 districts of the nation as a warning for the ruling Nepal Communist Party.
“People are starving and have to toil endlessly in search for food, yet our Kathmandu Mayor claims that the act of feeding the needy would decrease the beauty of the city. The Constitution has assured the right to food for people, but in this totalitarian ruling system, they think that their personal gain would cater to national progress.
Due to this profane thought, undemocratic thinking, and communist totalitarian concept, we are hitting the streets today,” Nabindra Raj Joshi, Member of Parliament from Nepali Congress who won from Kathmandu told ANI as he led a group from Basantapur in Kathmandu.
The Nepali Congress also has blamed the ruling government of harbouring corruption and encouraging embezzlement as its interference has been seen avidly in the judiciary and justice system.
“Basically, the government is acting against the Constitution and is now on its way to defame the country’s democratic process. Nepali citizens have fought for democracy for nearly 70 years and now this government is going against it by encouraging corruption which now has been witnessed in series. Due to interference in judicial matters, there are many organizations which are now losing on their reputation, such as the Parliament, which has its own rights and duties The government has been flouting the division of power. It is attempting to bring all things under the Prime Minister’s control and does not take action against people involved in bribery and embezzlement,” added Joshi.
In an emergency meeting on December 4, the party’s office-bearers had decided to stage demonstrations against the government on Monday, calling all its cadres to hit the streets against the ruling Communist party.
Amid the rising Covid-19 pandemic and mounting death toll, the number of daily Covid-19 tests has dropped below 10,000. While other countries are already on the way to procure vaccines against the virus, the incumbent government has been criticized for not paying attention to the issue.
A week ago, thousands of pro-monarch protestors had taken to the streets of Kathmandu, marking the first large scale demonstration in support of monarchy after its abolishment in the country during the early 21st century.