CPN (UML) defends Nepal PM as land gift by businessman for party office kicks up row

“There is no quid-pro-quo, and the gift was accepted after the party cleared it,” the UML statement said.

The UML statement said Oli accepted the gift as Gurung, founder and owner of Nepal’s biggest supermarket chain ‘Bhat Bhateni’, has been a party supporter “right from his student days”.

After Oli and his wife, along with billionaire Min Bahadur Gurung and his wife, performed ‘Bhumi Puja’ of the project on Thursday, it has come to light that the 5,300 sqm land was donated to the UML to build a party office. On the occasion, Gurung also extended an invitation to attend the inauguration of the party office, to be completed after a year, implying he will bear the entire cost of the building.

Binda Pande, a standing committee member of the CPN (UML), suspected.

“hidden motive” behind the deal and demanded that Oli scrap the deal. She said that the issue should have been brought before the decision making body of the party.

Sources said two members of the Party’ central secretariat – Surendra.

Pandey and Yubaraj Gyawaki– have asked Oli about the person who is donating the land for the party office in its meeting two days before the ‘Bhumi Puja’. Oli chose to remain evasive stating “there is a ‘dani’ (generous) person who has been helping us.”

Bishwa Prakash Sharma, general secretary of the Nepali Congress, which is also a part of the ruling coalition, Wednesday said Oli owed an explanation to the nation.