Deputy Prime Minister and vice-chairman of CPN (UML) Bam Dev Gautam has said the UML team in the government won’t be replaced and has challenged the party’s lawmakers who criticised the ministers for being incompetent, to show proofs to support their argument.

Speaking to reporters in Pokhara on Wednesday, Gautam, who leads the UML team in the government, said the ministers were not appointed to their posts out of mercy and that seeking a replacement to the team is just a wishful thinking.

He claimed that there has never been any discussion in the party about changing the equation in the ruling coalition

“Those who are accusing us (UML ministers) of being incompetent must be able to prove the charge. Do they think we are sleeping?”

Gautam’s reaction comes a day after some UML lawmakers questioned the competency of the UML ministers, saying that they have failed to live up to the expectations of the people.

During a meeting of the UML parliamentary party on Tuesday, they also criticised UML team in the government for not being able to take action against the murderers of Prachanda Thaiba, a UML cadre, in Butwal. nepalnews.com mk Apr 15 09