Socialist Party Nepal lawmaker Pradeep Yadav, who has been suspended by the party for participating in a Free Tibet program in Latvia, has called the action against him unfortunate.
"I am surprised with the party's decision. I have no comment to make on that. I will accept it unflinchingly as I am a true soldier of the party," Yadav told Setopati. "I am someone who remained in the party even when it had split into many pieces. I expect that action against me would be reconsidered."
The party's central executive committee meeting on Tuesday had decided to suspend Yadav for six months.
Yadav and Iqbal Miyan of Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJP) had participated in the meeting of parliamentarians supporting Free Tibet held in Latvian capital Riga from May 7-10. "I had made a mistake but I am not guilty because I did not know about the program," Yadav added. "One apparently makes such mistakes in course of working."
He expressed hope that the party would reconsider the suspension considering his contribution in making the party the biggest force in Parsa district in local, provincial and federal elections.
Talking to Setopati last month Yadav had claimed that the two lawmakers did not attend the program knowingly.
"A friend of Miyan proposed to him to attend a program of international parliamentarians. Miyan then proposed to me to go to Europe," lawmaker Yadav had told Setopati last month. "I went thinking let's visit Europe but I knew about the program only after reaching there."
He had claimed that they did not address the program despite attending the inaugural session and did not sign on the joint statement of the parliamentarians. "We knew we went for a program that we should not have attended only after reaching the place. We went out of the program after that. I made an excuse of feeling unwell. They had tried to send a person with me to buy medicines. But Miyan said he has medicines in his room," Yadav had reminisced. "We went out of the program after staying for 30 minutes. We went out as we felt that it was against Nepal's policy."
He had claimed the two left for Switzerland on a taxi on the second day of the four-day program. "We did not speak against anyone. We went there by mistake. They tricked us saying there is a program of parliamentarians in Europe," he added.
He had argued that they have not been involved in any activity against the laws and foreign policy of Nepal. "Neither did we sign on anything nor did we give statement," he pointed. "To leave the program is a respect of China. It is in line with Nepal's foreign policy."
He had claimed that they returned buying their own tickets even though they had gone to Latvia on the tickets provided by the organizers. "We are new lawmakers. We can be tricked like anybody else. We did not go there with prior understanding and knowledge."
He had added that the organizers tried to make them sign on the statement and take them to the stage but they declined. "We have not violated our foreign policy. Why should we lie?" Yadav stated.
