Founding leader of Nepali Congress and former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai passed away Friday in the capital Kathmandu, local sources told Xinhua.

Rajendra Bahadur Singh, director of Norvic International Hospital where the former prime minister admitted 20 days ago, told us

However, since Friday is an inauspicious day according to Hindu ritual, the announcement of his demise will be delayed and he will be put under artificial ventilator so that they can perform the last rites on a good day. he added.