Deuba camp divided over push to make Sanatan religion national identity

A proposal to make Sanatan religion Nepal's national identity has fractured Sher Bahadur Deuba's faction within the Nepali Congress, stalling the party's national gathering and forcing the postponement of a scheduled press conference.

Leaders opposing the move argue it contradicts the party's role in establishing the current constitution, which guarantees religious freedom for all communities. They believe promoting Sanatan Dharma as a national identity could undermine these constitutional gains.

Despite the internal opposition, Deuba pushed for a five-point proposal supporting the promotion of Sanatan Dharma. This proposal, passed in a closed session, acknowledges Nepal's religious and cultural traditions, including Hindu, Buddhist, and Kirat traditions, while still pledging to protect religious freedom and social harmony.

The disagreement centered on point 16 of the original 20-point conclusions, which focused on protecting religious freedom. Deuba's faction introduced a new proposal that explicitly calls for promoting Sanatan religion as the national identity, sparking heated debate among party leaders.

“

The press conference was postponed because the lack of agreement on the religious issue delayed the preparation of the final document.