KATHMANDU, Mar 12: Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa's 'indecision' is preventing police from arresting senior leaders of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) despite evidence suggesting the role of CPN headquarters in the latest spate of violence targeted at private businesses.
Preliminary police investigations suggest the CPN's hand in a blast at manpower entrepreneur Rohan Gurung's home. It is suspected that Gurung, chairman of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), became a target after he refused to pay a donation.
Police have launched a nationwide crackdown on CPN leaders in the wake of the bomb blasts. But this has proved too little too late .
Arrest warrant issued against Biplav
As of Monday, Nepal Police arrested around 50 CPN cadres in connection with a series of bomb blasts targeted at Ncell telecommunication towers across the nation and its corporate office in Lalitpur. The Lalitpur blast left one person dead and two others injured. But police haven't yet arrested any central leaders of the rogue party.
Police spokesperson Uttam Subedi said lack of clear evidence was preventing them from arresting the top CPN leaders. He said they have been arresting those allegedly involved in the blasts.
“We haven't found any evidence against the senior leaders. If we find some evidence, they will also be arrested,” said Subedi.
However, sources said the testimony of those already arrested and other evidence show a clear link to party headquarters in the recent violence. But lack of clear instructions from higher ups was stopping them from arresting the party honchos. The government has not been able to decision how to deal with the CPN. While some have stood for a political solution, others stressed the urgency of containing it through the use of force.
Home Minister Thapa has publicly spoken of the need of containing his former comrades through force. On Monday, he told parliament that those resorting to criminal activities would be booked as per the law. But growing pressure from within the ruling parties and from opposition parties has prevented him from taking any decisive move.
The main opposition and other parties have also been mounting pressure to resolve the issues through talks. NC, Bibeksheel Nepal and Naya Shakti Party Nepal have asked the government to bring the disgruntled parties to negotiations.
