Kathmandu, Feb. 20:Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, who returned here today cutting short his Australia visit, has said the Prime Minister should stand up to charges labelled against him by the ruling party’s lawmakers.

“I am hurt by the news that the lawmakers of the Nepali Congress themselves had moved a motion of no confidence against the parliamentary leader,” he said. “Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai should face the motion legally.”

Deuba said he was unable to understand why the lawmakers had taken such a step, particularly because the NC leadership had reached an agreement only three months earlier following a similar signature campaign against the Prime Minister. According to that agreement, Deuba said, Bhattarai was to resign between May and June this year.

The agreement was kept secret keeping in view that it would have negative impact on the public, he said. “I have not been able to understand what serious mistake has the Prime Minister committed during these three months and that he is being asked to step down at once.”

Deuba said it was not in the best interest of every one to invoke the articles of the Constitution and the party statute over and again. “Since that has already happened, the best thing now is to guide to a logical end, in the spirit of the statute.”

Stepping down or standing up to the charges of the fellow legislators would almost mean the same, he said. “Since charges have already been made, the PM should face upto them.”

Deuba said the Parliamentary Party Secretary, who had also been appointed by Bhattarai, had betrayed him by calling the meeting tomorrow despite the PM’s request to defer it.

Deuba said that the no-confidence move was an irreverence to Bhattarai who had contributed to the party since its establishment half a century ago.

Deuba said that he would not play the role of a mediator in this issue. He did not comment on the issue of leadership transfer to the second generation.