'Oli Met R&AW Chief for Hours': Prachanda Accuses Nepal PM of Dissolving Parliament at India's order

Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', the Chairman of the Nepal Communist Party's splinter faction, on Wednesday accused Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli of splitting the ruling party and dissolving Parliament at India's direction. Addressing leaders and cadres of his faction at the Nepal Academy Hall in the capital, Prachanda said that Prime Minister Oli had in the recent past accused that "some leaders of NCP were hatching conspiracy to topple his government at the behest of India." Prachanda said his faction did not force Oli to resign simply because it would have given a message that Oli's statement was true.

"Now did Oli split the party and dissolve the House of Representatives at the direction of India? the former prime minister asked. He said the truth has already been revealed to the Nepalese people.

"Oli met Samanta Goel, the chief of R&AW, the intelligence wing of India, for three hours at his official residence at Baluwatar, without the presence of any second person, which clearly shows Oli's motive," Prachanda alleged. He accused Prime Minister Oli of taking wrong advice from external forces.

House, Oli has given a blow to the Constitution as well as the democratic republic system which has been established in the country through seven decades of struggle by the people, Prachanda said. Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 after Oli, known for his pro-Beijing leanings, in a surprise move, recommended dissolving the 275-member House, amidst a tussle for power with Prachanda.

Acting on the prime minister's recommendation, President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House the same day and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10, sparking protests from a large section of the NCP led by Prachanda, also a co-chair of the ruling party. Oli, who is also the chairperson of a faction of the NCP, has said he was forced to dissolve the House after knowing that the Prachanda-led faction was planning to file a no-confidence motion against him and introduce an impeachment motion against President Bhandari.

India has described Oli's sudden decision to dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections as an "internal matter" that is for the country to decide as per its democratic processes. Oli-led CPN-UML and Prachanda-led NCP (Maoist Centre) merged in May 2018 to form a unified Nepal Communist Party following victory of their alliance in the 2017 general elections.