KATHMANDU, July 17: Activist Yubaraj Safal has filed a complaint at the Election Commission, demanding that the word ‘independent’ (swatantra) be removed from the name of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).
Safal argued that including the word ‘Independent’ in the party’s name undermines the identity and rights of independent candidates. “Political parties are based on specific ideologies, principles, and programs, and therefore, they cannot be truly independent. The use of this word misleads voters and deprives independent candidates of their due space,” his application stated.
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He also objected strongly to the RSP’s election symbol, the “bell.” Safal claimed the bell is a sacred religious symbol associated with the faith and practices of the majority Hindu population in Nepal and said its use in politics disrespects religious sentiment.
“Using the sacred bell, an object of Hindu worship as a political symbol amounts to religious misuse,” he wrote, “In a secular nation, no party should adopt a symbol that represents a particular religion’s faith.”
