After reviving its sister wing called Youth Force following the ousting of party Chair KP Sharma from the post of prime minister, CPN-UML has formed a 1,101-member Valley Command Force.
UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel launched the Valley Command Force under the command of Youth Force Deputy Chief Pushpa Raj Shrestha on Saturday.
Hundreds of youths, also ardent supporters of Oli, wearing red t-shirts and cap marched through the street from Baneshwor to Maitighar where they converged into a corner ceremony. The participants chanted slogans against Madhav Kumar Nepal for siding with the opposition and voting for opposition leader Sher Bahadur Deuba’s bid to gain confidence vote in the Parliament.
Addressing the launch ceremony, Pokharel directed the Youth Force to work in line with the party’s political programs and help uphold the rule of law, constitutional supremacy and promote good works done by UML in the past.
Pokharel also asked the Youth Force to standby in defense if some party leaders and cadres were attacked or attempts were made to break the constitutional process and trample people’s mandate.
“We are in favor of constitution and rule of law and Youth Force will help to strengthen the same. Though we believe in peaceful competitive politics, we must be vigilant of people who could obstruct the constitutional process,” he added.
Also addressing the function, Youth Force Chairman Mahesh Basnet warned that they would wreak havoc in the country resort to street protests if the incumbent government issued an ordinance with the objective to split UML and if it revoked the political appointments made by Oli.
He also said that the Youth Force will retaliate any attempts of the government to introduce supplementary budget and amend constitution to increase the number of ministerial portfolios in the federal government.
Meanwhile, leaders within CPN-UML have expressed worry that the Youth Force’s Valley Command Force will terrorize general public, curtail dissent or criticism of party leaders and undermine rule of law in the country.
Earlier, UML youth leader Yogesh Bhattarai had demanded disbanding the militant youth organizations of both the Oli-led faction and similar youth wing– Akhil Force– revived by youths close to Madhav Kumar Nepal.
