PM Oli lashes out at party insiders for calling Central Committee meeting amid COVID-19 crisis

Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday lashed out at his party members for demanding a 450-membered Central Committee meeting despite restriction to hold large scale gathering amid COVID-19 pandemic.

While holding discussions with the health experts, his party members and the Opposition party, Oli reviewed steps needed to take control of the coronavirus situation.

He also slammed them for demanding his resignation and also called them as "irresponsible" for calling a Central Committee meeting amid the pandemic,

"Some people are behaving very irresponsibly amid the pandemic. In fact, we don't need to go far to see it. We have asked on people not to gather at one place exceeding 25 in number and yet some of my party members have called an immediate 450-membered Central Committee meeting without knowing about where to hold it or what to discuss on. The Standing Committee meeting should be held right now or else tomorrow nobody should say anything on the matter," Oli said.

With the demand for his resignation has been rising within the party, PM Oli has been facing a hard time to save his chair. Various leaders have come forward with demands to call 450 membered Central Committee meeting to decide over the fate of PM Oli.

Former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal did not attend the meeting as he was visiting Deputy Chairman of the party Bam Dev Gautam.

Earlier, senior leaders including Dahal, Gautam, Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal had demanded Oli's resignation.

The Central Standing Committee meeting which commenced from June 24 is still in limbo as Oli has been postponing it to avert criticisms landing on him. Though the duo chairs of the party have held multiple rounds of discussions, no concrete decision has been made till now on the matter.

Speaking on the COVID-19 crisis, Oli also blamed India for the increasing number of cases in the Himalayan nation.

"In order to end the COVID-19 infection in the country, we should stop the arrival of people from other countries and block the entry at the border points. These things -- till the time we keep the border open -- would enter the nation. Till the time we allow people from Sunauli to enter into Nepal, the chances of sinister condition would always remain," Oli said.

Questioning the health experts and the Opposition leaders, the PM said, "If we are allowing people to enter Nepal then should they be kept in quarantine facility until their reports for COVID-19 tests come or they be allowed to go home?"

As per the Nepal Health Ministry, the death toll due to coronavirus has soared to 58. The total count stands at 21,009 with 5,925 active cases.

On Tuesday alone, as many as 259 people were confirmed positive of coronavirus. Of 259 cases, 62 are from Kathmandu valley, the ministry said. A total of 15,026 people have been discharged so far.

( With inputs from ANI )