How have you taken the action taken against you by your party?
Jha: I take this as a conspiracy orchestrated to eclipse my legacy and investment in the national politics for the past 22 years. The party´s action against me came in a dramatic manner. Normally, newspapers and televisions cover developments that take place till late evening. However, the media did not carry the news about the party´s action against me. I am a democratic person. I was jailed during both the democratic movements of 1990 and 2006. I had actively taken part in the democratic uprising in 2006 when none of the Madhesi leaders were in Kathmandu. I have been advocating for SP to remain a democratic party. How can I then join a leftist alliance?
Why do you think the party chairman took action against you?
Jha: It is a coincidence that the action against me came just a day after I questioned the achievements of the party at the central committee meeting. I had demanded that the party review the past achievements and failures and chalk out a strategy to go to the people. The party chairman, however, argued that the party can not remain in the opposition always. I think the party chairman took action against me out of fear that the issues I raised could flare up and affect his credibility. The party chairman has attempted to damage my political career accusing me of being anti-democratic as I was not in favor of joining the Khanal-led government.
Where will this action lead you?
Jha: Since I have not quit Sadbhawana Party and also not joined another party I do not think I will have to lose my CA membership. I will first put the matter before the party. I will try to defend myself and prove my innocence. I believe I will get a clean chit.
You have been telling the media that your party chairman is involved in corruption.
Jha: I would have raised the issue in the party if I was still in the party´s central committee. The reports in the media about irregularities in the ministry our party chairman held in the Madhav Nepal-led goverment would have certainly been matters of discussion there. It would be a mistake to believe that people are in favor of our party just because we organized Madhes Swabhiman Yatra from Mechi to Mahakali.
Why didn´t you raise the issue before?
Jha: Especially in Nepal, political career of a leader is put in jeopardy if he chooses to protest against unscrupulous acts of the party leadership. Despite this, I had raised the issues right since the formation of the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led government some one-and-a-half years ago. I had symbolically protested the party´s decision by not participating in the Madhes Swabhiman Yatra. This was my silent protest against the party´s decision. I rarely attended the functions attended by party chairman Rajendra Mahato after the Swabhiman Yatra.
There are rumors that youth leaders from Madhes are forming a separate party.
Jha: Madhes-based parties have been discredited after the CA election. Even a new party formed by bringing leaders from different political backgrounds has not been able to function properly. Even Sadbhwana Party that had leaders belonging to the same ideology failed to function effectively. Against this backdrop, we have formed a loose alliance of Madhesi youth lawmakers while staying in our respective parties. We have been working for the common cause of Madhes. We can not afford to form a separate party by sacrificing all the investment put in a party for several years.
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