A faction of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) staged dharna (sit-in) in front of the Prime Minister's residence in Baluwatar Thursday, demanding that the government immediately find out the whereabouts of party president Anandi Devi Singh, who was 'kidnapped' by party leader and industry minister Shaym Sundar Gupta nearly two weeks ago.
The protesting NSP-A workers, who were led by party's senior vice-president Khusi Lal Mandal, expressed anger at what they called government's indifference towards finding out the status of their party president. They also demanded that the Prime Minister remove minister Gupta from his post immediately.
NSP-A leader Sarita Giri told reporters that during a meeting with the party's delegation following the sit-in Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala assured that the government would try to find out Singh's whereabouts within 24 hours.
The Mandal faction has accused Gupta of forcefully taking the party president away from her residence in Jadibuti, Bhaktapur and not disclosing her status.
Gupta, on the other hand, has denied the kidnapping charge, saying that he took her with him to afford her a comfortable place to live in. Few days earlier, he had said that Singh was in Patna, undergoing medical treatment.
81-year-old Anandi Devi, the widow of NSP founding president Gajendra Narayan Singh, has been a victim of vicious feud between the rival factions of the party ever since she was nominated as the figurehead president of the party. nepalnews.com mk May 15 08
