Owning Up to Mistakes and Setting Them Right Is True Courage,’ Says NC Chair Thapa

In Siraha, Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa described the events of Bhadra 23 and 24 as the culmination of years of public frustration and dissatisfaction among citizens.

Addressing an election rally in Siraha, Thapa urged that those incidents be understood not merely through a security lens but in their deeper social and political context. “We were preparing for the 2084 election when the events of Bhadra opened our eyes,” he said, referring to the widespread protests and unrest on those days. On Bhadra 23, unarmed youths were killed and on Bhadra 24 the country suffered major damage, he added, saying the anger and losses reflected widespread dissatisfaction with the government, the prime minister and political leadership alike.

Thapa spoke about the everyday hardships faced by citizens, including long lines for passports, bureaucratic hurdles for licenses, shortages of fertilizer and high unemployment among educated youth that has left many disillusioned. “We have spent millions on education, yet there are no jobs even in major cities,” Thapa said, arguing that the public took to the streets because political leaders failed to address these grievances.

He also outlined two dangerous tendencies in current politics: a ruling mindset that dismisses growing discontent as mere conspiracy, and an opportunistic urge to inflame passions for political gain. “Those who neither acknowledge mistakes nor seek to correct them are cowardly; those who do are brave,” he said, acknowledging errors and calling on his party to reform and re-earn public trust.

Branding corruption as “Nepal’s great disease,” Thapa said its eradication must start at the top, condemning officials who put personal interests ahead of public duty and saying that a prime minister who thinks only of his own family commits the gravest offence.

On the contentious Madhes issue, he challenged other parties seeking to capitalize politically, promising that he and his party would explain the region’s rights and grievances to Kathmandu’s powers that be. He said his own candidacy from Sarlahi–4 was driven by the belief that national leadership cannot be effective without understanding Madhesis’ struggles.

Thapa concluded by urging voters to elect Congress candidate Ramchandra Chaudhary and offering a guarantee that no one would regret supporting Congress over the next five years.