Chair-throwing and Fistfights Erupt at Akhil Revolutionary Conference
A publicly released video shows members of the two groups engaged in a heated scuffle.
Yurika Rajbhandari
Kathmandu – Tensions are escalating within the Akhil Revolutionary, a student wing closely aligned with the Maoist Centre, over the issue of new leadership.
During the closed session of the ongoing national conference in Kirtipur, disagreements over age limits have sparked conflict between different factions within the group.
Several student leaders, including Dipesh Pun, Pawan Karki, and Naresh Regmi, are in the race for leadership, each backed by different Maoist officials. As factional disputes deepen, arguments over age limits have led to a physical clash between two groups at the conference venue in Kirtipur.
A publicly released video shows members of the two groups engaged in a heated scuffle. Although police officers stationed for security tried to intervene, they struggled to control the large crowd. In the video, students from the sidelines can be heard shouting "hit, hit, hit" as the brawl unfolds.
Earlier, during the opening of the conference, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ had addressed the student leaders regarding the age limit issue. He had gathered leaders at Khumaltar, suggesting they decide on the age cap—whether 28, 30, or 32 years—through a vote. After Prachanda’s remarks, the conference officially began with the closed session, but four days in, it seems the event is veering more into chaos than resolution.
The dispute, which flared during discussions about whether to hold a vote on the age limit, escalated into chair-throwing and shoving.
According to eyewitnesses, one student delegate even brandished a knife during the altercation. The age cap has sparked fresh controversy at the 23rd national conference of Akhil Revolutionary, with disagreements over the matter continuing to dominate the discussions.
This is not the first time this issue has caused friction. On Sunday, there were also tensions, with one group demanding the enforcement of an age limit and chanting slogans at the conference venue. Meanwhile, another group of students opposed the idea, further fuelling the conflict.
