Kathmandu, Jan 25: Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has commented that Speaker of the House of Representatives failed to play a neutral role. Following the passage of the National Medical Education Bill from the parliament despite the protest of the major opposition, NC President Deuba expressed worry that forwarding the bill by the Speaker despite picketed bell was against his repute.
“In no county, the bill is passed when the opposition is in the bell. When I was the Prime Minister, Manmohan Ji had picketed the bell in regard to the Mahakali Treaty and I had urged for the talks,” leader Deuba reminded, arguing that the bill was passed one-sidedly instead of holding dialogue.
He further said the previous government he was heading had made the agreement with the agitating Prof Dr. Govinda KC and issued ordinance. But the present government worked obstinately, President Deuba blamed.
The NC President further accused the government of pushing Respiratory Centre named after Girija Prasad Koirala in Tanahu and the Cancer Hospital named after Sushil Koirala in Banke to the dissolution.
India government had assured of assistance to set up the respiratory center named after Girija Prasad Koirala during his visit to India, reminded Deuba, arguing that present government was trying to wipe out the name of Nepali Congress.
He wondered, “How could the country get the republic in absence of Giriraj Prasad? How could the country get the constitution if there were not Sushil Koirala?”
The NC hits the street and parliament both over these issues, he warned.
NC lawmaker Gagan Kumar Thapa also accused the Speaker of showing apathy to the issues raised by the opposition. “In the name of having a two-thirds majority, the government was doing the politics of negation,” he asserted.
He further said although the Speaker had said he would not proceed with the parliament in case of protest but seek the solution, he acted in an unfair manner.
The demand for making the government’s role robust on medical education was blatantly ignored, he blamed.
Meanwhile, NCP leader Yogesh Bhattarai has viewed that the ruling party respects the opposition’s right to protest. The bill which was much disputed for the half-decade has however encompassed the spirit of commissions formed by different governments overtimes.
The ruling party leader Bhattarai argued, “The Bill has finally addressed the demands of agitating Dr. KC for the reforms in the medical sector. It helps medical education make a revolutionary headway. With this, the students earlier disallowed to study within the country despite having capacity can now study here.”
According to him, the Speaker worked in line with parliamentary procedure. Both the hospitals established after the names of Girija Prasad Koirala and Sushil Koirala would be operated with the budget allocation, he added, urging agitating Dr. KC to end the strike.
