Nepali Congress Disciplinary Committee to Address Unauthorized Use of Party Letterhead by Purna Bahadur Khadka

Kathmandu. The Nepali Congress Disciplinary Committee is meeting on Wednesday morning at the party's central office in Sanepa. The committee, led by coordinator Taraman Gurung and members Dhana Khatiwada and Subas Pokharel, has placed the issue of outgoing acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka issuing a statement on Monday using the party's letterhead as 'acting president' on its agenda.

Previously, on Chaitra 14, Khadka had issued a statement in his capacity as acting president, expressing objection to the arrests of former Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister and Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak.

On Chaitra 17, he called a meeting of the central working committee elected from the 14th General Convention in the same capacity.

Following this, the central disciplinary committee meeting held on Chaitra 18 decided to caution Khadka, stating that his act of using a fake party letterhead to issue unauthorized statements as acting president was wrong. The statement issued after the committee meeting read, 'Henceforth, it is decided to initiate action against anyone engaging in such misconduct in accordance with the Nepali Congress Statute, 2017 (with amendments) and prevailing Nepali laws.'

The disciplinary committee meeting was called after Khadka challenged that warning by again issuing a statement on Monday using the party's letterhead in the capacity of acting president.

Party spokesperson Devraj Chalise stated that issuing a statement on a letterhead as acting president is inappropriate. 'The statement issued by him (Purna Bahadur Khadka) is inappropriate. It is against the statute,' spokesperson Chalise said.

However, he mentioned that what to do about this does not fall under the jurisdiction of the working committee. 'It does not fall under the authority of the central working committee; it is a matter within the jurisdiction of the disciplinary committee,' Chalise said, 'The committee looks at the statute and facts, not the person or position.'

Congress Disciplinary Committee coordinator Gurung informed that the meeting will discuss the statement issued by Khadka using the party's letterhead for a position he does not hold. 'The statement issued using the letterhead and a non-existent position will be discussed,' coordinator Gurung told Ratopati.

When asked if they were planning to take action against outgoing acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka, coordinator Gurung said, 'There is an agenda to discuss his statement. Whether action will be taken or not will be known after the meeting. This is not something to be said right now.'