Kathmandu, Oct 1: The Nepali Congress has objected to the government’s decision to suspend the passports of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, and others.
In a press statement, Krishna Prasad Paudel, chief secretary of the party’s central office, said the government had begun taking politically vindictive decisions by suspending passports and restricting movement within the country.
The government formed an investigation commission after the Gen Z protests of September 8 and 9. Based on its recommendations, the government decided to suspend the passports of five people, including former Prime Minister Oli and former Home Minister Lekhak.
Others include former Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi, former chief of the National Investigation Department Hutaraj Thapa, and former Chief District Officer of Kathmandu Chhabi Rijal.
The Department of Passports has been instructed to prevent them from traveling abroad, and they are also barred from leaving the Kathmandu Valley without approval. The Congress has called this an act of political revenge.
The press statement said, “Suspending passports and restricting domestic movement in such a way that clearly shows political retaliation indicates that this government is pursuing a different course rather than fulfilling its responsibilities and maintaining peace and order.”
The Congress also urged the interim government not to encourage impunity or pursue politics of revenge against political parties.
Earlier, the UML-aligned National Youth Association had warned that retaliation against former Prime Minister Oli and UML Politburo member Mahesh Basnet would not be tolerated. The association’s chair, Kshitiz Thebe, issued that warning in a press release on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the Congress issued its own statement, objecting to the government’s decision to suspend the passports of former Prime Minister Oli, former Home Minister Lekhak, and others.
Leaders and cadres from both parties have also criticized the government’s recent decisions on social media.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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