KATHMANDU, Nov 19: Senior leader of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) Ram Chandra Poudel has come down heavily on his own party's government saying that it could not provide security to the election candidates.
An explosive was detonated at Bhanu Rural Municipality-10 of Tanahun district targeting his vehicle while he was en route to an election campaign in Lamjung at around 3 pm on Saturday. He is the parliamentary candidate of Tanahun constituency-1.
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“I did not get hurt. But I had a narrow escape,” Poudel told Republica. “I was sitting at the back of the vehicle. The assailants attacked the vehicle hiding in the bush.”
He also criticized security bodies for failing to anticipate attacks and arrest those involved in series of attacks on poll candidates.
“The government had told us that poll security has been beefed us. But the security has been very weak. The government has failed to provide security to poll candidates,” he criticized the government formed by his own party. “Although the government is of NC, it has not shown sharpness in providing security.”
The former minister was traveling in a jeep (Ba 13 Cha 3746) which has sustained minor damages after the blast. Although Poudel escaped without a scratch, a police officer deployed for escorting Poudel has sustained minor injuries.
A team of 21 security personnel - 10 Armed Police Force and 11 Nepal Police - was escorting Poudel, a candidate for the upcoming parliamentary elections from constituency-1 of Tanahun district.
