Kathmandu, May 27
The government is distributing medals to various political leaders for their contribution to the 2015 constitution drafting process. Interestingly, the awardees also include some key leaders of the Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’-led Maoist party, which the government has banned citing it carried out various ‘terrorist’ activities.
The award ceremony will be held this Thursday, one day after the Republic Day. The Ministry of Home Affairs has published a notice informing the ceremony will be held at the President’s Office, Sheetal Niwas.
The Biplav-led party’s three leaders–Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma, Santosh Kumar Budha and Uma Bhujel–will get the Constituent Assembly Award. They were members of the Assembly from 2008 to 2013.
Bishwakarma, also a former minister, has been arrested by the government for multiple times whereas Bhujel was also arrested on the charge of arson.
Besides the Maoist leaders, President Bhandari, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, former President Ram Baran Yadav and Deputy Prime Minister Upendra Yadav will also get the awards.
Likewise, former prime ministers Lokendra Bahadur Chand, late Surya Bahadur Thapa, late Girija Prasad Koirala, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Jhala Nath Khanal, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai and late Sushil Koirala will also get the award.
Total 1,109 persons will get the award.
Former lawmakers Gayatri Sah and BP Yadav, who have been accused of misusing the diplomatic passports, have not been included on the list. Likewise, the government has also avoided Shyam Sundar Gupta, Sanjay Kumar Sah and Jaya Prakash Gupta as they have been convicted of different crimes. Likewise, veteran Maoist leader Mohan Baidya is also not on the list as he had resigned from the position before completing a term.
