KATHMANDU: The Bagmati provincial committee of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has demanded that party chairman Rajendra Lingden either provide evidence for allegations made against provincial lawmakers or issue a public apology. The provincial committee has given Lingden a 24-hour ultimatum to substantiate his claims or retract his statements.

In a letter signed by provincial committee president Bikram Bahadur Thapa, the committee expressed strong objection to comments made by Lingden regarding provincial lawmakers who voted for the Bagmati chief minister.

Lingden had reportedly accused the lawmakers of being sold like livestock and acting in the interest of others. The letter stated that while everyone has the right to disagree with political decisions, the party chair has a responsibility to provide evidence when accusing elected representatives of being sold.

The provincial committee challenged Lingden to answer specific questions, including who was sold, the amount involved, who the buyers were, and what evidence supports these claims.

The committee demanded that if the allegations are based on facts, the evidence must be made public within 24 hours and the accused should be disciplined according to party statutes. If no evidence exists, the committee insists that the chairman must retract his statements and apologize publicly.

The letter also questioned Lingden’s past decisions and behavior, citing instances where the party supported the speaker in Koshi Province and voted for a Nepali Congress chief minister in Gandaki Province.

The committee questioned the double standard, asking why Lingden’s own political decisions are framed as situational while others are labeled as being sold, noting that such contradictions raise questions about political morality and leadership.

Furthermore, the Bagmati provincial committee has demanded the immediate reversal of disciplinary actions taken against the provincial lawmakers. They also called for an end to the trend of personal attacks against party members who hold differing opinions, urging the leadership to uphold transparency and political decorum.