The Election Commission today removed the portion that advocates Hindu state and monarchy from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party’s statute before endorsing it.
Election Commissioner Narendra Dahal told The Himalayan Times that Hindu state and monarchy contradicted constitutional provisions of republican order and secularism.
Dahal added that political parties were also barred from advocating anything that could adversely impact the country’s security.
Co-spokesperson for Rastriya Prajatantra Party Mohan Shrestha said his party had called emergency meetings of the party’s top two bodies to decide the RPP’s next course of action following the EC’s decision.
“The EC has no right to comment on political matters. The constitution does not bar any party from advocating a political agenda. The constitution guarantees freedom of expression,” Shrestha said and added that if his party was barred from taking its political agenda of Hindu state and monarchy to the public, it would be meaningless for the party to take part in elections.
“We fear that the EC has conspired to spoil the environment for local elections,” Shrestha added.
He said his party, which had played key role in preparing conducive environment for the polls, was jolted by the Election Commission’s decision.
A version of this article appears in print on March 18, 2017 of The Himalayan Times.