Nepali Congress not truly a part of government: Shekhar Koirala

Kathmandu, February 18 — Nepali Congress leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala has stated that the party's role in the government has not been evident.

While speaking at the inauguration of the Nepal Press Union branch presidents' national conference in Kathmandu on Tuesday, Koirala emphasized that although the Nepali Congress is part of the ruling coalition, its influence has not been felt within the government.

He warned that the government must be kept in check, claiming that it is slowly becoming dominated by the CPN (UML).

Despite Koirala's statement, the reality is that both the Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) are actively involved in the government at both the central and provincial levels.

Koirala expressed concerns about the growing influence of a bureaucratic system in governance, which he believes is more common in communist regimes.

He criticized the government for bypassing Parliament to introduce ordinances, saying this undermines democracy.

Koirala also accused the government of allowing corruption by not taking action against those involved in bribery.

On the issue of the Social Media Bill, Koirala stated that it violates freedom of expression and called for it to be withdrawn and reconsidered after discussions with relevant stakeholders.

He emphasized that regulating speech under the guise of control is unacceptable in a democracy.