Kathmandu. The main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC), which has been irked by the police mistreatment towards it senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel, is staging a nationwide demonstration today (Monday).

NC has been facing criticism in the public circle as not being a powerful opponent of the government but just a silent onlooker. The protest today is most  probably aimed at breaking the image.

‘Nepali Congress is demonstrating against corruption, financial irregularities and the dictatorial working style of the Oli government for which it has issued a notice of mass protest in all 77 districts of the country today. To make the protest demonstration effective and successful, NC has sent its party office bearers, central committee members and senior leaders to the districts.

NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba has appealed to the demonstrators to keep the corona pandemic in mind and wear masks and maintain physical distance compulsorily. He has instructed NC leaders and cadres to make the demonstration systematic, peaceful and grand.

In his appeal, NC President Deuba has noted that as a good opponent NC has always tried to play a coordinating and supportive  role but the government has concentrated in corruption, gone against the rule of law and become authoritarian. As a responsible opponent it was the duty of NC to raise voice against the government’s misdoings and aware the people, the appeal mentions.

People’s aversion towards the government at present is due to the action of the incumbent government. It’s the right of the Nepali people to have high expectations from the Federal democratic republic political system established after a long struggle and sacrifice, Deuba underscored.

The NC president accused the government of promoting corruption and told that there could be no shameful incident in Nepali political history than the misappropriations in the procurement of medical equipment and supplies related to the corona pandemic.

Deuba stated that Nepali Congress would always protest against oppression and discrimination in any form and urged the public to be aware of all such activities and oppose them.

Today’s demonstration against the government from the main opposition is meaningful in a sense that the government itself is facing hurdles from within the party. Different groups and smaller parties had demonstrated against the government before, and not in such a large scale as planned this time by NC.