The Dahal-Nepal faction of CPN has demanded immediate and unconditional release of its leader Ram Kumari Jhakri who has been arrested over her comments about President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
A Metropolitan Police Crime Division team led by DSP Durga Raj Regmi arrested Jhakri from her residence in Shankhamul, Kathmandu Thursday afternoon on the basis of a warrant issued citing clause 58 of the National Penal Code 2017 related to prohibition of intimidation of president or parliament under the offenses against the state.
Spokesperson of the faction Narayan Kaji Shrestha issuing a statement Thursday has slammed Jhakri's arrest. "The arrest made making mockery of the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution has revealed the government's undemocratic, autocratic and totalitarian character," the statement reads.
It has called labeling of political criticism as an offense against the state a serious optical illusion, prejudice and arbitrariness, and demanded immediate and unconditional release of its central committee member.
The arrest has been widely condemned with Chairman of the faction Pushpa Kamal Dahal claiming that Jhakri has been arrested on direct orders of Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli.
Nepali Congress (NC) leader Gagan Thapa, meanwhile, called the arrest an act of intimidating those who question the government. "You resort to unconstitutional and undemocratic acts instead of carrying out your duty and try to intimidate by locking those who question that? There was a king in the past and president now. Government, increase the number of prisons because the mouths that speak for truth will not be shut by your intimidation," Thapa tweeted after arrest of Jhakri who was a contemporary when both of them were student leaders against the coup of the then king Gyanendra.
"No person shall intimidate, whether by using any kind of force or not, show fear or terror to, or otherwise overawe the President or Parliament of Nepal with intent to prevent or restrain the President or Parliament of Nepal from performing any of the functions required to be performed pursuant to the Constitution or law or compel the President or Parliament of Nepal to perform the functions in any specific manner," reads clause 58.
She can be jailed for up to seven years if found guilty.
Jhakri had criticized President Bhandari for involvement in active politics while addressing a program in Siranchowk rural municipality of Gorkha on January 29. "What to talk about the president! Great queen apparently said election will be held. I send message to the great queen from Gorkha. You may as well return to Koteshwore leaving the carcade of Shital Niwas. She apparently has house in Chabahil or somewhere else. She can even go to Balkot if not there."
Oli has a house in Balkot where he resided until he became the PM.
Jhakri had also called the decision of the then CPN-UML to field Bhandari in election after death of her husband and the then UML general secretary Madan Bhandari a mistake. "The culture that CPN-UML started of fielding in white sari after murder of Madan Bhandari, Bidya Devi Bhandari is counter productive result of that. Things go awry when one is done with ideology and does politics showing hair, nose and clothes," Jhakri had claimed.
Jhakri's statement against President Bhandari especially the Balkot reference was widely condemned. The women's association of the Oli faction demanded arrest of Jhakri for what it called abuse of President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
Handing over a memorandum letter to Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, the association had demanded Jhakri be arrested for character assassination of President Bhandari.
