It's Madhav Nepal's turn to clarify!

Nepali politics has ever remained a conspiratorial one. Conspiracies are hatched as and when our leaders feel it comfortable. Conspiracies are at constant play whether it be to elevate one's ranks or even it could be to bring down the rising popularity of one's rival. It is said that even two good friends housed in a particular political entity more often than not play foul politics simply to down grade the other equally competent rival. The beauty lies in the fact that both conspire against the other giving the other the impression that he or she continues to be one of the best friend of the other rival. The process goes on and on. In our case, conspiratorial politics began immediately after the revolution of 1950 and fortunately our leaders since then have been keeping the tradition intact.

Whether it is a conspiracy or a fact based on his findings, the widely acclaimed foreign policy expert of the UML—Mr. Hiranya Lal Shrestha, has brought his own party leader, Madhav Kumar Nepal, in the news. The news or for that matter the revelations brought into open by Mr. Shrestha regarding his own former party boss is a damaging one. It is a hair raising one in the sense that it talks of Mr. Nepal having extra-territorial linkages and that too at the cost of the nation and its national interests. The revelations take a different and dangerous dimension when the man accused of such grave charges takes it easily and prefers not to issue any sort of rebuttals in order to clarify the charges labeled against him by none less than a personality who till the other day worked hand-in-hand with the person thus accused.

Nevertheless, what is for sure is that Nepali leaders believe in praising their party bosses till they work together and enjoy friendly relations. Needless to say, their relations take a complete U turn as and when they happen to differ on certain count. In the latter case, the Nepali leaders begin crying hoarse caring little that their allegations, at times even wild ones, could take a very dangerous turn and might create stir not only in the party they served till the other day but the nation as a whole.

However, the case here appears little bit different. It is different because the man who is alleging and the man under attack both possess a sound political background and hence the allegations thus labelled can't be dismissed outright for understandable reasons. While we don't harbor any ill intentions for Madhav Nepal and also keep him and his political career in high esteem, equally true is the fact that Mr. Shrestha—a journalist turned political scientist turned UML activist too possesses a very dignified career. And hence the latter's allegations made against his one time party boss can't be brushed aside simply because the man accused belongs to a political party that has a distinguished image in the current scheme of political things in the country.

It is time that the man thus challenged by Mr. Shrestha comes up with his own version and clarifies the matter that satisfied not only his own party men but the rest of the country men. Failing to do so would mean that Mr. Shrestha's allegations possess some seeds of truth.

It is time that Madhav Nepal keeping his distinguished political career in mind responds to Mr. Shrestha's allegations. A stitch in time saves nine. The message is clear perhaps.

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