Amid growing speculations of rifts in the ruling parties, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday came to the defence of the government and his ruling partners.

Recently, CPN-UML chair KP Oli, Minister for Youth and Sports Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, who belongs to the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and others have expressed serious disagreements over the annual budget, and the government’s working style and performance.

Oli criticised Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun’s budget as favouring “one man, one party”, expressing his concerns over low allocations for the UML-led ministries.

On the other hand, speaking at a party function on Friday, Minister Shrestha of the RSP said they would quit the government if they had to make “unnecessary compromises”. “That is why our resignation letters are in our pockets,” he said. “As soon as we start feeling frustrated, we will put in our papers.”

These two back-to-back statements by Oli and Shrestha sparked speculations about a growing rift between Oli, Dahal, and other ruling partners.

But Prime Minister Dahal, talking to reporters at Bharatpur airport on Monday, said: “He pretended to criticise, he has not genuinely criticised.”

“This government will continue until the end of its term. The rumours [about rifts] are unfounded,” said Dahal.

The prime minister also subtly responded to the statement made by minister Shrestha, acknowledging that it is typical of the RSP’s stance, but reiterated that the government would complete its full term.

“Carrying resignation letters in pocket is the identity of the RSP,” said Dahal. “But that does not mean they will withdraw support.”

Dahal also ruled out the possibility of removing Nepal Police IGP Basanta Kunwar from his post. There were some media reports that Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane was trying to remove IGP Kuwar due to some differences.

“Recently, I called a meeting of all three security chiefs—of the Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and the National Investigation Department—and clearly told them to work with high morale. No one is going to remove any security chief,” the prime minister told reporters. “These are all rumours.”

Sources close to the prime minister said that UML chairman Oli was also against an abrupt removal of the Nepal Police chief. As rumours about the police chief’s potential removal spread, Nepal Police headquarters issued a statement on Sunday refuting these claims, describing the media reports as baseless.

One senior RSP leader told the Post that Minister Shrestha has serious differences with some office-bearers of the Nepal Sports Council and that Shrestha is unhappy with lack of cooperation from bureaucrats and officials.

“Both Dahal and Oli understand the RSP’s strength and they don’t want to let us go,” the RSP leader said. “It’s just that some of our friends want to make public the difficulties they faced in the first 100 days in government.”

According to Prime Minister Dahal, “Rabiji [Lamichhane] has always said that he leads a force that is different from other parties and if it cannot deliver, it will quit the government.”

“So it is not surprising to hear the RSP leaders talk like that. But as far as I understand, the RSP is not quitting the government,” Dahal added.

One UML central committee member said that as the leader of the largest coalition partner, Oli has some compulsions, which is why he made such statements.

“Some Maoist leaders accused Oli of trying to micromanage the government, which is not true. Our party has given Prime Minister Dahal a free hand and will help him in every step,” the UML central committee member said.

Janamat Party chief CK Raut told the Post that there are no substantive differences within the ruling parties and some comments the media have been citing are quite harmless. The prime minister has already asked Raut to join the government.

“The government is not in crisis as some sections of the media are reporting. Some innocuous statements have been blown out of proportion,” said Raut, whose party is preparing to join the government after the budget’s parliamentary approval.

At Oli’s suggestion, Raut was offered the post of foreign minister in a cabinet reshuffle, according to sources. But Raut remains undecided. “Nothing has been finalised,” said Raut. “As far as my joining the government is concerned, I am in favour of supporting the government from the outside. But some of our friends will join.”