All-talk Dahal

Fuelled by a sense of betrayal and entitlement, the Maoist chief increasingly cuts a sorry figure.

While addressing party workers in Kathmandu on Saturday, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre), the main opposition, stuck to a familiar script. He again accused the Oli government of protecting the corrupt while selectively targeting opposition leaders for prosecution. Dahal re-emphasised how his government was toppled because it was preparing to take action against top Nepali Congress and CPN-UML leaders on corruption charges. Dahal and other top Maoist leaders who spoke before him lamented the ‘complete failure’ of the Oli government’s 100 days in office. Perhaps the most interesting part of Dahal’s statement was that the ruling parties need not fear that the Maoist Centre would try to topple the government. In fact, the party was now in a soul-searching phase and there was no question of the Maoists joining the government soon. That the Maoist supremo managed to say all this with a perfectly straight face speaks volumes about his chameleon-like ability to deceive folks—or at least about his belief that he can continue to do so indefinitely.