A fresh controversy has erupted in the Rastriya Prajatantra Party after party Chairman Rajendra Lingden removed Nawaraj Subedi from the position of coordinator of the discipline committee and Sagun Sundar Lawoti from spokesperson.

A separate meeting was held at the residence of General Secretary Dhawal Sumsher Rana against Lingden’s decision on Saturday morning. At the gathering, they decided to protest the decision and take all possible actions, according to an RPP leader who participated in the meeting.

The leader said the gathering concluded that removing both Subedi and Lawoti from their positions is against the party statute, and it decided to file a complaint with the Election Commission against Lingden's decision. Later we will also go for legal remedy, the leader added.

The leader claimed that 50 central committee members, including 10 office bearers, attended the meeting held at the general secretary’s residence. They also took serious exception to the way the action was taken as both Subedi and Lawoti came to know of their removal from social media.

Before their removal, the party chairman should have asked both leaders for explanations, the dissident faction leader said. “Neither Subedi nor Lawati have received a letter of their removal nor was any clarification sought from them,” the leader said.

As per the party charter, the decision to remove central committee members from their responsibilities should be endorsed by the central committee, which Lingden did not follow, the leader added.

“This is an arbitrary decision, one that goes against the party charter, the system, and democracy. It undermines the party’s democratic values,” the leader said. “Therefore, we will go to the Election Commission on Sunday against the decision.”

Lingden, citing the authority provided by the party statute, removed Subedi as the head of the disciplinary committee and appointed Roshan Karki in his place. Similarly, Lawoti was relieved of the spokesperson role.

According to the leader, the amended party statute does not give the chairman the authority to take such direct disciplinary actions.

“According to the current provision, the chairman must table a proposal at the central committee for any disciplinary action, and the central committee must make the decision,” the leader said. “The chairman cannot directly remove anyone from their position.”

Subedi was coordinator of the joint movement committee for the restoration of monarchy and was active in pro-monarchy activities.

The RPP has been leading the pro-monarchy movement but Subedi’s involvement created a power struggle inside the party between Lingden, Rana and Subedi.

General Secretary Rana has challenged Lingden’s leadership and is involved aggressively in the pro-monarchy movement.

Rana was also taken in custody for a few weeks for investigation in connection with a violent March 28 protest in Tinkune where two people were killed and scores injured.

The establishment faction stated that Subedi had already left the party and started his own movement which was against the party’s decision. However, the dissident faction claims that Subedi is still a member of the RPP and has not quit the party as claimed by the establishment faction.

Lawoti confirmed to the Post that the dissident faction will knock on the Election Commission’s door on Sunday against Lingden’s decision.

“Subedi ji publicly announced at a press conference that he was no longer with the RPP after leading the joint people's movement committee formed to restore the monarchy,” a leader close to Lingden said. “Did he forget his public announcement?”

But Subedi has not submitted his resignation from the party so he is still the party member, a leader said.

Nevertheless, RPP leaders stated that after failing to achieve concrete results through the movement he led, Subedi is now willing to remain in the RPP.

Leaders from the dissident faction argued that since Subedi has not formally resigned and the party has not made any decision to remove him, and that there are no obstacles to his participation in the party’s central executive committee meetings.

The four-hour meeting of top party leaders was attended by Prakash Chandra Lohani, Hari Bahadur Basnet, Bikram Pandey, Mukunda Shyam Giri, Dhawal Shamsher Rana, Lawoti, Kunti Kumari Shahi, Pravin Kumar Thokar Tamang, Prem Balayar, Rishiraj Devkota, Saurendra Bahadur Shah, Janakraj Pathak, Ranjan Karki, Mina Shahi, Karna Bahadur Shahi, Kishor Karki, and Niranjan Thapa, among others.