Sampang criticizes RSP rally, raises questions on national issues

KATHMANDU: Chair of Shram Sanskriti Party, Harka Sampang, has launched a strong public attack on the Regional Assembly organized by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Itahari, Sunsari, questioning the party’s stance on major national issues and criticizing its leadership.

Taking to social media, Sampang directly targeted RSP President Rabi Lamichhane and party leader Balen Shah, raising a series of pointed questions over what he described as the party’s silence on pressing national concerns during the rally.

Referring to RSP’s claim that cadres from 14 districts participated in the gathering, Sampang demanded clarity on whether the party had the courage to take firm positions on sensitive national issues. “Did you dare to say ‘No to MCC’ in such a massive assembly? And did you speak anything at all about the 7.4 million cooperative victims?” he wrote.

Sampang further mocked what he called RSP’s controversial rhetoric, questioning how the rally endorsed statements about “burning Singha Durbar,” a remark that has previously drawn widespread criticism. He also accused the party of being indifferent to the struggles of landless settlers and laborers.

In a scathing tone, he added: “If farmers are labeled as trash, what did you say about workers? What is your answer to running bulldozers over the settlements of the landless?”

The Koshi Province–level mass assembly was held in Itahari on Saturday. Addressing the rally, RSP leader Balen Shah prioritized the long-standing drinking water crisis of Dharan, stating that if RSP comes to power, the party would resolve the city’s chronic water shortage.

Shah claimed that a project worth approximately Rs 5 billion would be launched to pump water from the Saptakoshi River using lift technology and supply it to Dharan. He presented the plan as a long-term solution to the city’s decades-old drinking water problem.

During his address, Shah also questioned the performance and effectiveness of the current government and elected representatives.

“What has the current government done? Have people’s representatives been accessible to the public or not?” he asked.