NCP leader arrested over Facebook posts against prime minister and home minister

Setopati

Pokhara, Nov 3

Govinda Adhikari, a leader of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) who had been posting Facebook statuses against Prime Minister Balen Shah and Home Minister Sudan Gurung, has been arrested.

Kaski Police arrested Adhikari in Pokhara and sent him to Gorkha on Tuesday, according to Superintendent of Police Nabin Karki, the district police chief.

SP Karki said that Adhikari was arrested and sent following a written request from the District Police Office, Gorkha, to apprehend and send him to Gorkha.

“We received a letter from Gorkha asking us to arrest him and send him there, citing a complaint that he had posted statuses against the home minister,” Karki said. “We have arrested him and sent him there.”

Adhikari had been writing status updates against Prime Minister Shah and Home Minister Gurung for the past few days.

According to police, Adhikari was arrested for action under the same offense after writing a status claiming that Home Minister Gurung was chased away from Gorkha.

A few days ago, Home Minister Gurung had visited Gorkha to meet voters and inaugurate a secretariat.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Communist Party has termed it wrong to arrest someone merely for writing status updates on social media and has demanded his unconditional release.