JOIN USNepal's opposition parties have vowed to topple the Maoist government through street protests for refusing to forge consensus on a national unity government to end the lingering political deadlock in the country.
Talking to reporters in Dang district in the western Nepal, senior leader of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba said that a storm of agitation would be created to oust the current government as Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai was reluctant to forge consensus.
He also said that the government would not last long as it has been receiving severe criticism from all sides, claiming that the country would not get an outlet without consensus.
Deuba said that the country has been a hostage of indecision due to the Maoist-led government. The government is willing to intervene in judiciary by interfering in the ongoing investigation in the killing of journalist Dekendra Raj Thapa, he pointed out.
Deuba's remarks came a day after 16 political parties launched joint agitation starting from Dailekh district, where journalist Thapa was murdered by Maoist cadres nine years ago.
The police have arrested five district level Maoist cadres in connection with the murder and the Prime Minister has come under severe criticism for his instruction to halt the judicial probe into the murder.
Meanwhile, senior leaders from the opposition parties on Saturday announced the start of anti-government protests in Dailekh, a western Nepal district, where thousands of people have taken to the streets demanding stern action against those involved in the murder of journalist Dekendra Thapa.
After the failure to come up with a consensus prime ministerial candidate as called by the president, opposition parties had earlier this week announced 20-day long protests aimed at dislodging the incumbent government led by Bhattarai.
They claimed that this time the anti-government protests would turn into a mass movement. "Baburam Bhattarai is clinging to the power even as he is no more a legitimate prime minister," Nepali Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat said addressing the protest rally in Dailekh.
"The prime minister is so shameless that he is not ready to quit the government even after the president issued several deadlines for the formation of a new government."