Madan-Ashrit Memorial Day observed by offering brief tribute without speech
KATHMANDU: CPN (UML) leaders have recalled their then General Secretary Madan Bhandari. UML leaders including the Prime Minister and Party Chairman KP Sharma Oli reached Balkhu, the-then party office, and laid wreaths at Madan’s statue.
UML Central Office Secretary Sher Bahadur Tamang said that only the top leaders were present to pay their respects, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and prohibitory orders.
Prime Minister Oli arrived at 9.30 AM on Monday and laid a wreath at Madan’s statue. Along with him, his wife Radhika Shakya also laid a wreath at Madan’s statue.
After that, General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel paid tribute to Madan. Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’, who recently left the UCPN (Maoist) center for UML, also paid tribute to Madan.
According to Office Secretary Tamang, he had sent an SMS to all the leaders, including Madhav Nepal, to pay tribute. However, Nepal did not go to Balkhu. Yet, party leaders Surendra Pandey and Ghanshyam Bhusal did go to Balkhu.
Similarly, Bamdev Gautam, a leader of the Ekata Abhiyan, also went to Balkhu.
Bhandari died 28 years ago today in a tragic jeep accident at Dasdhunga in Chitwan. He is the pioneer of multi-party democracy of the people in Nepal.