‘GAGAN THAPA TRIGGERED CORRUPTION IN STUDENT UNION’

Political analyst Dr. Surendra KC has said it is not appropriate to drag President Bidya Devi Bhandari into unnecessary controversies.

President Bhandari has been tugged into a number of controversies including the procurement process of 180 million worth luxury cars—as costlier as cars used by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Pope Francis—and a helicopter; use of the phrase ‘Mero Sarkar’ while presenting the government’s policies and programs for the fiscal year 2019/20; and her lavish lifestyle.

“The procurement process was the continuation of the decision made by the previous government. It was already readied somewhere and but arrived now. We cannot blame the incumbent government and the president for this,” said KC, talking to Rishi Dhamala in a television talk show Janata Janna Chahancha on Monday.

“Likewise, the president read the phrase ‘Mero Sarkar’ during the policies and programs presentation. She opened the document given to her by the prime minister and recited it,” he said adding, “but she was dragged into another controversy. It’s not appropriate.”

He also defended the president saying, “The president is an organization and it does not commit mistakes.”

“The present president (as an organization) is not like the previous president”—when the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal stepped down from the position after President Ram Baran Yadav blocked his controversial move sack army chief General Rukmangat Katwal describing it as unconstitutional.

He, however, expressed disapproval toward some of the activities of President Bhandari.

“Yet, some of the activities of President Bhandari are not proper.”

“Spending a luxurious life, blocking the air and land traffic during the VVIP parade and giving special importance to state visits—these are her mistakes and not unbearable to the general public.”

“All people want is the president stop tormenting the public because she is also a daughter of an ordinary person.”

“If she is the president of the federal republic Nepal, then it should reflect in her behavior,” he added. “She should not show royal behavior.”

“If it is the government’s decision, the government should change it. If it’s her will, then she should reconsider it.”

‘GAGAN THAPA RESPONSIBLE FOR CORRUPTION IN NSU’

Dr. KC also accused Nepali Congress leader and lawmaker Gagan Thapa of triggering corruption in the student union. However, he refused to give details about his conducts.

“We made the student union and we fought for the country. The union had its own ideology then. But now, the union has failed to conduct elections for 15 years. If there is any place where corruption and anarchy have prospered, it is student union,” said KC.

“You have seen how corruption has flooded in Tri-Chandra Campus.”

Gagan Thapa and some other leaders of his generations are responsible for this,” he blamed.

KC also asked the students not to over-evaluate and iconize Thapa.

‘JUST A BREAKFAST’

KC, who was widely criticized for holding a breakfast meeting with gangster-turned politician Deepak Manange aka Rajiv Gurung, clarified that he only had one breakfast with Manange in Pokhara. “It was not a breakfast meeting,” he said.

“I had reached Fewa Lake for a shooting event of Canada Nepal. When I was there, Manange called me requesting me to have breakfast with him. He is a lawmaker and I took his invitation normally. So had one breakfast with him… it’s just it.”

Manange was elected to Province Assembly for the Gandaki Province as an independent candidate with the support from erstwhile CPN-UML from Manang (B).

Manange was serving a sentence for attempted murder before he was released on December 21 last year in accordance with the provision in the new penal code that allows the defendants deserving less than 10-years imprisonment to fight their case from outside the prison.

KC also requested the media not to make his visit with Manange a big deal.

“He invited me so I went. It’s not a big deal.

Moreover, KC also said the incumbent government led by Nepal Communist Party chair K P Sharma Oli has become unsuccessful.

“Talking and putting the promises into action are different things. The prime minister talks about railways and ships. But smaller problems such as the construction of bridges and management of dusty roads have been addressed yet.

“Instead he can say–development is a continuous process. We have expedited the development works that have continued from the past,” he added.

“Development is not a magic wand. It is not an overnight process,” he added.

GORKHA, Feb 10: Central member of Nepal Congress Gagan Kumar Thapa has said that deferring the general convention is not beneficial for the party.

Speaking at a press meet organized by Nepal Press Union Gorkha chapter on Sunday, Thapa urged the party leadership to immediately prepare for the general convention arguing that deferral of the general convention would weaken the party.

“As NC is not in the government, it must work for general convention. Let’s not wait for two years for it,” he underscored.

According to Thapa, the coming general convention could be a turning point for the older generation of leaders to take rest from the active politics.

“I’m also ready to fight for the party’s President to shoulder the party leadership”, he added.

He further argued that older generation leaders should hold the responsibilities of guardians rather than holding executive power in the party.

He was of the opinion that youths need to emerge in the party’s mainstream so that early generation would be given due respect, he stressed.

According to him, time has come for the party leaders to make NC dynamic with growing activism.

KATHMANDU, Dec 4: Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa and ten others sustained injuries when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in Chapali of Budanilkantha in Kathmandu on Monday.

Thapa, also a House of Representatives candidate from Kathmandu constitutency-4, was in his door-to-door campaign when the blast occurred. Thapa sustained injuries on his back and ear, according to sources.

Thapa was discharged after preliminary treatment, while the others injured are receiving treatment  at Teaching Hospital in Maharajgung, according to his companion Jeevan Bhandari. 

The injured are Jaya Raj Lamichhane, Raj Kaji Shrestha, Purna Bahadur Shrestha, Rina Baruwal, Shyam Krishna Shrestha, Suman Khadka, Rabindra Karki, Chhabilal Shrestha, Parshuram Thapa and Dhruba Khadka. Of them, Raj Kaji Shrestha and Shyam Krishna Shrestha’s condition is critical.

CHITWAN, Sept 26: Nepali Congress youth leader Gagan Kumar Thapa has said his claim was for the chief minister of the Province no. 3.

At a press meet organized by Press Union, Chitwan chapter on Tuesday, the former Minister said he wished to head the Province 3 as the CM if the party thought it necessary to give him such responsibility.

“Stronger State is necessary in the federal set-up,” he asserted.

“There is possibility of an electoral alliance in the forthcoming elections as no political parties seem to garner a clear majority, but intra-party discussions were necessary for an official decision on the matter,” he added.

He was of the view that the issue of an alliance should be finalized before the registration of candidacy.

In view of the former Health Minister, the ongoing protest of health professionals was not ethnical as there were other ways to press the government to get their demands addressed. He called upon the protesting doctors to seek a solution to the problem through negotiations. RSS

RAUTAHAT, Sept 13: Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa has said that Madhes and Madhesi people have always been his party’s top priority.

Addressing an election program at Chandrapur-2 in Rautahat on Wednesday, Thapa said, “Madhes and Madhesi people’s pride is the life and responsibility of Nepali Congress (NC) party.”

“NC does not grade Madhesi people as second class citizen like UML does. Neither have we tried to seperate Madhes from Terai,” he added.

He also requested the people to cast vote for the NC party. “Let’s elect the NC’s candidates and we will reward the people with development, prosperity and resolution from current crisis.”

BHAKTAPUR, Aug 5: Former Health Minister and Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa has called for endorsing the Medical Education Amendment Bill as soon as possible.

Speaking at a program organized to mark 10th memorial day of social worker and Nepali Congress leader Shyam Bahadur Karki in the capital on Saturday, Thapa shared that they were working to pass the Kedar Bhakta Mathema led team prepared report regarding the bill.

He added that Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba himself was paying attention to pass the bill even to end hunger strike of Dr Govinda KC.

Dr KC is on a hunger strike for the past 13 days demanding passage of the bill immediately. RSS

SURUNGA, June 21: Nepali Congress central member Gagan Kumar Thapa today said agenda of all political parties should be focused on social and economic development.

Talking to media-persons at Birtamod of Jhapa, the former Health Minister urged people not to take the new local-level granted with more than 50 percent rights normally and choose rights candidates capable of leading the local bodies to the path of development and prosperity.

He also expressed his hope that Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal which was threatening to boycott the upcoming local-level elections would come to a consensus and join the poll. NC would make initiatives towards that end. RSS

POKHARA, May 10: Nepali Congress central member and Health Minister, Gagan Thapa, has claimed that responsibility of finding an outlet to the country from the existing confusion by enforcing the constitution has come upon the shoulders of the Nepali Congress.

In his address to a corner meet organised by the NC, Kaski at Chipledhunga-based BP Chowk today, leader Thapa expressed his hope that the party would contribute to holding the both rounds of local-level elections in a free and fearless atmosphere.

He went on to claim that the NC was committed to coming up with a special programme aimed at strengthening the local government and creating employment opportunities for youths at home.

Also speaking on the occasion, NC party leader and election mobilisation committee coordinator Dr Shekhar Koirala said the NC aspired to see the corruption-free, well-run, responsible and transparent local-level.

NC Kaski president Krishna KC chaired the programme where other local-level party leaders put their views. RSS

KATHMANDU, May 8: The government has enforced ‘cancer protocol’ to bring uniformity in treatment of cancer disease.

At a program organized at the Health Ministry on Monday, Health Management Division, Director Dr Bikas Devkota, handed over the protocol to Health Minister Gangan Thapa.

Sharing the information that the protocol would be enforced from today itself, Minister Thapa directed the Department of Health Services to make treatment protocol of other 11 types of severe diseases.

He said, “Cancer protocol was necessary to bring uniformity in treatment of cancer in all hospitals. So this protocol would be enforced at all hospitals-classified to provide treatment of severe diseases from today itself.”

A team comprising oncologists of Nepal prepared the protocol after eight months long exercise.
Minister Thapa said that it was necessary to prepare protocol to ease the treatment and to bring uniformity in treatment as morality rate is rising due to non-communicable diseases. RSS