Kathmandu, – Senior CPN (Unified Socialist) leader Jhal Nath Khanal has pushed back firmly against calls for his resignation, saying he won’t step down just because someone tells him to.
Speaking to reporters in Kathmandu on Saturday, Khanal made it clear that quitting the party was never on his mind. “This party was born out of struggle. It needs to be strengthened with solid ideas and principles. We need transformation—not retreat. Resigning or walking away is simply not something I’ve ever considered,” he said.
Without naming names at first, Khanal seemed to direct criticism toward party chairperson Madhav Kumar Nepal, saying that if anyone feels the party no longer represents them, they’re free to leave. “If someone doesn’t have the capacity to lead or contribute, maybe they should step aside. But that’s not who I am,” Khanal added.
Tensions between the two veteran leaders became public after Khanal questioned the original split from CPN-UML in a recent television interview. That prompted Nepal to suggest that Khanal should resign on moral grounds—something Khanal quickly rejected, countering that perhaps it’s Nepal who should consider stepping down.
Khanal also invited open discussion within the party if there were any issues with his public statements. “If anyone has a problem with what I’ve said or written, the party should call a meeting. Let’s have a debate—not a blame game,” he said.
He didn’t hold back from criticizing Nepal’s political style either, accusing him of repeatedly joining governments that go against class interests, and forming electoral alliances with the Nepali Congress that, in Khanal’s view, compromised the party’s core ideology.
Khanal further expressed frustration that the party had failed to embrace or promote his long-standing push for scientific socialism. Despite his efforts, he said, the leadership has remained silent on that front.
In the end, Khanal sent a clear message: he’s staying put. “Leadership means taking responsibility. Not running away,” he said.
