Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has questioned why the mystery behind the death of Madan Bhandari remained undiscovered for years.
Speaking at the diamond jubilee of the establishment of the Communist Party of Nepal organized by CPN (UML) in Godawari on Monday, President Deuba asked why the UML never bothered to investigate the death of Bhandari even though its leaders took the helm of the governments time and again.
A hush fell over the meeting hall filled with prominent figures like UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and former President Bidya Bhandari when Deuba put up this question.
On May 16, 1993, then UML General Secretary Madan Bhandari and Organizational Department Chief Jibraj Ashrit died when a jeep they were traveling in fell into the Trishuli River at Dasdhunga.
UML had hit the streets piling pressure on the government led by then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to investigate the incident terming it a ‘plotted murder’.
The UML led the government many times following that incident. UML leaders took charge of the home ministry. But the authoritative bodies have never bothered to find out the guilty behind the incident.
Jeep driver Amar Lama managed to save his life in the incident but he was subsequently killed by a Maoist.
“So much so that the jeep driver, Amar Lama, was also killed later. But why?,” asked Deuba, “It is easy to put the blame on others but the UML should answer why it did not bother to find out the guilty behind Bhandari’s murder while in power?
Prime Minister and Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ was also present on the occasion.
