A senior leader of CPN (UML) has claimed that Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal has become “half Maoist” already.

Pradip Nepal, who is the politburo member of the CPN (UML), said that although Khanal is UML party chairman and heads the government led by the party, he is actually a “Maoist prime minister” at heart.

Nepal, who was speaking at a press meet organized by Press Chautari, Sunsari in Itahari Wednesday afternoon, leveled this allegation against his own party chairman as he believes Khanal defied party’s clear orders not to allot home ministry portfolio to the Maoists.

Pradip Nepal even went so far as echoing the views of other senior UML leaders K.P Oli and Madhav Kumar Nepal, saying that action must be taken against Khanal for his open misdemeanor.

Maintaining that no one — neither party activists nor party leader or chairman — who against party’s decision would be spared, Nepal said that since the politburo doesn’t have the authority to indict the chairman, the Rastriya Pratinidhi Parishad of the party will take necessary steps to initiate action against Khanal on the recommendation of the party’s powerful Central Committee. nepalnews.com