Madhav Kumar Nepal, senior leader of the UML party, has dared to open the Pandora’s Box.

Better late than never, he has dared to do so in that someone had to do or raise the grave issue that pertain to the mysterious death of the party’s senior most ideologue, Madan Bhandari.

Late Bhandari is still revered by the common and lower rung UML workers.

The incumbent President of Nepal, Mrs. Bidya Devi Bhandari, is the consort of late Madan Bhandari.

Madhav Nepal has said that Madan Bhandari was killed, and later thrown in the River but not as what has been disseminated for public consumption since the mysterious death of the UML Supreme leader.

Late Bhandari was a nationalist leader.

“It was not an accident but an act of murder”, so said Mr. Nepal just the other day in Kathmandu.

The Nepali people have been given to understand that while on his way to Chitwan, the Jeep carrying Madan and Jiv Raj Ashrit overturned near Das Dhunga and the jeep not in control of the driver plunged into the swelling River. This theory prevails even as of today.

The driver of the said Jeep, Amar lama, too was killed by some unknown elements in and around Kirtipur a few years later of the death of Madan Bhandari. Who killed Mr. Lama remain yet shrouded in a mystery?

Interestingly, the UML since the unbelievably mysterious death of Madan Bhandari has been in power several times but yet Bhandari’s death, an enigmatic one indeed, had never been an important agenda of the UML government to the extent that even Mrs. Bhandari too appeared reluctant in making any serious efforts in bringing out the truth behind this tragic death of her own husband. She is the country’s Honorable President now.

Madhav Kumar Nepal himself became the Prime Minister of the country representing the UML but why he did not take up this matter while being in government remains yet another secret.

And what makes him now to take up this issue is no less than yet another top-secret? What could have been in his mind for disclosing such an issue at this critical juncture? Or whom he wants to shift the blame for the killing of late Bhandari? Is it a ploy to malign his bete noir PM KPS Oli? If it is not Oli then whom Madhav wants to damage? Or is it just a blame game to be in the lime light of politics?

Though at times some of the UML cadres and workers in the past have had demanded a probe into the death of late Bhandari but their voices were either ignored summarily or were feeble which did not approach the power corridors who could have done a lot in unfolding the truth behind the death or say murder of the brightest star of the UML, Madan Bhandari.

Many theories were floated but all in vain. The theories in circulation were adjudged as redundant and the rumor that Madan Bhandari was killed in an accident near Das Dhunga and was swept by the swelling Narayani River while being on his way to Chitwan district prevailed.

It was a rainy day in effect.

(This scribe heard this shocking news of the death of Madan Bhandari while he was attending a US embassy reception thrown by Ambassador Julia Chang Block in her official residence in Kamaladi, Kathmandu. The sad news was told by Parliamentarian Dr. Dhruba Sharma of the NC. Mr. Sharma too remains no more in this material world).

Now the question is that: What makes Madhav Nepal to make such an announcement which may shake the entire UML paraphernalia from within? What is his motive in airing such news? Understandably, such a bombshell may have its negative impact on the national politics as well, this Madhav Nepal must have in his knowledge but yet why he chose to air such a devastating news associated with blind accusation and that too after a lapse of some good two decades?

More importantly, how much share Madhav Nepal is ready to accept for the death of his own supreme leader, Madan Bhandari?

Or he is just playing a trick with PM Oli for some unknown reasons, let’s suppose that Oli may have ignored Madhav in some issues pertaining to the party affairs, may have hurt Mr. Nepal.

Rumors have it that Madhav Nepal and PM Oli were not even in good terms. For Mr. Nepal, PM Oli is a dictator, analysts have been told.

And Madhav’s bombshell has come at a time when PM Oli is visiting China and is all set to welcome Blockade expert Narendra Bhai Modi. Honestly speaking, Oli should have delayed PM Modi’s Nepal visit for an indefinite period sensing the Nepali people’s sentiments that had been disturbed by Modi when he imposed economic blockade just after the great quake that hit Nepal.

Be that as it may, since Mr. Nepal has spoken about the mysterious death, it would be more than desirable if the incumbent government led by UML leader takes up the accusation seriously and makes public the facts as to whether it was a murder or a normal accidental death?

Fortunately, the President of the Republic is a lady who happens to be the widow of late Madan Bhandari. Perhaps she too prefers the facts to come to the open.

Mr. Nepal though has spoken of the possible murder of Mr. Bhandari, he however, refrained from providing details of the so called murder.

This has made the issue more complex. Still analysts hope that since the UML is in power and thus it can dig the matter and bring out the facts.

Earlier the better.

The President, Mrs. Bhandari, is also hereby suggested to impress upon the government to seriously take up the issue that has been raised by senior UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal.

April 26, 2018.