It was indeed a bizarre sight to see some Nepali Congress (NC) leaders sitting in row holding boot polish and brush in their hands at Naya Baneshwor Chok, Kathmandu on Tuesday morning. The NC leaders were offering shoe shine services to the passers-by.

The programme was organised as part of ‘political cleansing’ campaign organised by Krishna Prasad Bhattarai Memorial Foundation, a veteran NC leader and former prime minister, to mark the Martyrs’ Day. NC leaders Dhanraj Gurung, Chandra Bhandari, Binod Bhattarai and Panchkhal Municipality Mayor Mahesh Kharel, among others, were seen shining the shoes of pedestrians.

Apart from the NC leaders, some human rights activists, political figures, and members of general public, assembled in this somewhat odd programme. They were urging the people to take the shoe-shining as a symbolic move to cleanse malpractices and anomalies prevalent in Nepali politics.

“This is a symbolic step initiated to pass on the values and principles of saintly leaders like Kishunji [Krishna Prasad Bhattarai],” said NC leader Binod Bhattarai, “This programme is the beginning of political purging from ourselves.”

Bhattarai said the current leaders of Nepal should learn from the lifestyle of Krishna Prasad who polished his own shoes. Former speaker Daman Nath Dhungana praised Krishna Prasad Bhattarai for his leadership skill who didn’t give room even to his critics for pointing fingers at his works despite holding the post of prime minister for several times. He said current leaders should follow the ideology of Bhattarai.

“We have got new structure and public representatives now. They should all vow to work with the ethical standard upheld by Kishunji,” said Dhungana.

More than two dozen people, who sat at Chhakubakku Park in Baneshwor, rose around Rs 30,000. Mahesh Kharel, whose brainchild the concept was, said that the fund will be spent for public service and promoting Krishna Prasad Bhattarai’s ideologies.