Put student wing's meet on hold: CPN-UML

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: A standing committee meeting of the CPN-UML today ordered the central leadership of its student wing – All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU) – to put off the planned “statute convention”, scheduled to begin in Kirtipur on August 25, indefinitely.

According to standing committee member Amrit Kumar Bohara, the standing committee meeting ordered its student wing to put off its planned statute convention after it received a report from a three-member probe committee, formed to investigate “anarchic, unruly and non-political” activities prevalent in the union’s central leadership.

The three-member committee, which has party secretary Yuvaraj Gyawali as its head and Gangalal Tuladhar and Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal as members, was formed to look into “hooliganism” and clashes that broke out at a function in Nepal Law Campus a few weeks ago.

Sources said the panel found that secretariat secretary of ANNFSU, Ain Bahadur Mahar, was directly involved in the beating of some student leaders attending the function. The probe panel has recommended disciplinary action against Mahar.

Mahar is wanted by police for his alleged involvement in hooliganism at Nepal Law Campus, according to party sources.

Although the standing committee meeting stated that the statute convention was put off due to the lack of preparations, party sources told this daily that a section of ANNFSU, which is close to ethnic leaders within the UML, was making preparations to create anarchy in the party by capturing the forum of the statute convention.

Sources said some ANNFSU leaders from ethnic background had held an informal meeting to utilise the statute convention to promote the cause of ethnicity.

The UML’s student wing is plagued by factionalism of late and a section of ANNFSU leadership, led by Mahar, has formed parallel district-level organisations in Rupandehi, Bara, Rautahat, Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam and Parsa. The parallel committees were formed shortly after the election of district committee leaderships were held through a legitimate process.

The Gyawali panel, according to sources, found that a section of the ANNFSU leadership was indulged in factionalism, hooliganism and unruly activities that did not suit those involved in the student movement.

Oli returns after check-up

KATHMANDU: Senior leader of the CPN-UML KP Sharma Oli returned home after going through a follow up health check-up in New Delhi, where he also conferred with some prominent Indian leaders. Sources said the former deputy prime minister and home minister, Oli, shared views with the Indian leaders about the latest political developments in Nepal, where major parties are at loggerheads over the political and constitutional crisis since the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly on May 27. Oli’s aides said he met Congress-I and BJP leaders, and CPI-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechuri.