National
RJP-N: Drop charges against Chaudhary
Leaders of the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) have demanded that the government release fellow party leader Resham Chaudhary and respond immediately to his demands.Tika R Pradhan
Leaders of the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) have demanded that the government release fellow party leader Resham Chaudhary and respond immediately to his demands.
During a meeting with Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa on Saturday morning, the RJP-N presidium members said the health of 24 people, including leader Chaudhary who has been on a hunger strike in jail, was deteriorating and called for resolution of the matter at the earliest.
Leader Chaudhary and 23 others have been staging a fast-unto-death inside the jail since March 4, putting forth a three-point demand, including the MP certificate and withdrawal of cases filed in relation to the Kailali incident.
They also argued there were no legal hurdles to bring Chaudhary to Kathmandu from Kailali and hand him his Member of Parliament certificate, and administer oath of office and secrecy.
In the meeting held at the Home Ministry, Minister Thapa said the government was serious about the health condition of those people and the ministry was working to address the demands that could be met immediately. He said that matters other than related to the court could be resolved through dialogue and discussion.
Chaudhary has been accused of masterminding the incident that took place in Tikapur of Kailali in August 2015. Eight persons including Senior Superintendent of Police Laxman Neupane were killed in the incident. Chaudhary went underground since the incident. Later, he was elected to the House of Representatives from Constituency no.1 of Kailali in absentia.
Soon after the RJP-N leaders urged Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa to save Chaudhary, the ministry airlifted him to Kathmandu and arranged for his treatment at Bir Hospital.
“Home Minister has told the RJP-N leaders that due process of court should be followed to release Chaudhary,” said Surya Subedi, personal secretary of Home Minister Thapa.
The leaders also argued that as the case of Chaudhary was political the government can release him through political decision. But Thapa said he would discuss with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli about their demands. RJP-N coordinator Mahantha Thakur said he had informed PM Oli about the matter six days earlier. “PM Oli had said he would talk with Attorney General about the case,” Thakur said, adding that Chaudhary was ‘not a convict’ and was only alleged for the murder.