Deadlock ends in Parliament as Nepal PM Prachanda expresses regret over his controversial remarks

Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Monday expressed regret over his controversial remarks that an Indian businessman staying here made efforts to make him the premier, saying he should not have made those comments in his present capacity.

On July 3, during a book launch event, Prime Minister Prachanda said that Sardar Pritam Singh, a pioneer trucking entrepreneur in Nepal, played a key and historic role in enhancing Nepal-India relations and lobbied for him.

"He (Singh) had once made efforts to make me the prime minister," Prachanda said. "He travelled to Delhi several times and held multiple rounds of talks with political leaders in Kathmandu to make me the prime minister," Prachanda said during the event.

Prachanda, 68, was sworn in as Nepal's Prime Minister for a third time on December 26.

His remarks stirred up a political storm and invited criticism from several quarters. The Opposition demanded his resignation. However, a close aide of Prachanda said that the Prime Minister will not resign.

Clarifying his controversial remarks while addressing the Parliament session on Monday, Prachanda acknowledged his lapse in judgment during the speech.

"I should not have spoken what I spoke as the Prime Minister...On that day, I spoke not as a Prime Minister but as a father of a daughter,” he said.

"I have accepted whenever I have committed mistakes. I wanted to make things clear, but I did not get the chance due to the obstruction of the Parliament,” he further clarified.

The Opposition parties, including the CPN-UML, which had been instrumental in obstructing the Parliament proceedings since Wednesday over Prachanda’s statement allowed him to speak in the House on Monday.

The understanding to resume the House proceedings was reached at a meeting between Prime Minister Prachanda, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli ahead of the lower House meeting.

Prachanda said that when his elder daughter Gyanu was critically ill with cancer, his son Prakash had taken him to Delhi, where they sought treatment and temporarily stayed at Pritam Singh's residence.

During their stay, Singh had mentioned that Prachanda should become the prime minister. "He wasn't proposing himself as the prime minister, nor was it a matter of me appointing him as one,” the prime minister clarified.

The Opposition CPN-UML demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister for making such remarks.

"I have never compromised on the issue of the country’s sovereignty and national integrity,” Prachanda said addressing the Parliament.

"Since I had no bad intention in mind, I have made this self-criticism," he said while addressing the House.

"One who had proposed my name for the post of the Prime Minister himself is asking who has made me the Prime Minister,” Prachanda said sarcastically pointing to CPN-UML chief and former prime minister Oli.

The Prime Minister said that “he is committed to taking the remaining works relating to the peace process to the logical conclusion and for this, he has been holding consultations with both the ruling alliance members and the opposition.”

Prachanda said the ruling alliance and the Opposition should work together in the national interest. "I am clear that we all need to collaborate for the cause of democracy and its protection."