Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Gagan Thapa has protested presidential clemency and pardon for those involved in grave crimes.
Speaking during the House of Representatives (HoR) meeting on Thursday Thapa has stated that misinterpretation of the Constitution and laws have resulted in the need to formulate new laws. “The decision for clemency is wrong. It has been opposed from the House to the streets. The issue has reached the court. The government should inform the House about the reasons,” Thapa has added.
President Ram Chandra Paudel granted clemency for Yog Raj (Regal) Dhakal from Banke on recommendation of the government on the occasion of the Constitution Day that fell on September 20 this year.
Dhakal had been serving life sentence for murder of Chetan Manandhar who was killed by his gang on July 13, 2015. The Banke District Court in April 2019 had slapped a life term on Dhakal to go with confiscation of all his properties.
Chetan’s wife Bharati has started a hunger strike at Maitighar Mandal demanding that Dhakal be sent to the jail again.
Thapa has said that the government should be held accountable. “The government cannot run away after taking the decision. We need answer for that. Why was that done? Such a big public question has been raised,” he has stressed. “We must now ensure that clemency/pardon cannot be granted stepping on two or three laws. We should block the holes. We must bring a provision that allows it only by stepping on one law. Lawmakers must take back all the laws as misinterpretation and arbitrariness has increased, and make a law integrating them with amendment that cannot be misinterpreted.”
