KATHMANDU, March 20: Police on Thursday arrested three more individuals in connection with their involvement bomb blast at former Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gokul Baskota’s house in Lokanthali Bhaktapur.

According to SSP Sahakul Thapa, a team of the Metropolitan Crime Division held Laxman Shetti and Amrit Kumal of Kailali and Abhishek Giri of Kalikote.

The arrestees will be made public on Friday.

A pressure cooker bomb had gone off at Baskota’s house on the morning of March 11. No injuries and casualties were reported.

A hand out was recovered from the blast site which claimed that the bomb was detonated by the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) led by Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’ as “punishment for Baskota’s corruption”.

Baskota subsequently resigned from his post on February 20 after an audio conversation of him negotiating for Rs 700 million bribe with a local Swiss company over a contract for security printing press was leaked in the social media.

The police had arrested CPN Bhaktapur District Committee member Dev Bahadur Gurung from Jadibuti hours after the explosion. 

KATHMANDU, March 11: Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal has condemned an explosion of improvised explosive device (IED) at the under-construction private residence of former Minister Gokul Prasad Baskota at Bhaktapur this morning.

In a press statement today, he said an unidentified group exploded a pressure cooker bomb targeting the house of NCP central committee member and House of Representatives (HoR) member Baskota at Lokanthali of Madhyapur municipality-1 and the explosion caused damage in the house

”I, personally and on behalf of the party, denounce the criminal incident and draw the government’s attention towards finding out the guilty and taking a stern legal action against the culprits.” RSS

POLICE ARREST CPN DISTRICT MEMBER IN CONNECTION WITH THE BLAST

KATHMANDU, March 11: The Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) led by Netra Bikram Chanda ‘Biplav’ caused the explosion at former Communication and Information Technology Minister Gokul Baskota’s private house in Lokanthali as “punishment for his corruption”, according to a report.

A pressure cooker bomb went off at Baskota’s under-construction house today morning, causing damages to the compound wall, a parked mini-van and his neighbor’s house. No injuries were reported.

Baskota, who resigned on Feb 20 following the Rs 700 million bribe deal controversy, has been living in Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s house in Balkot since he was appointed the minister.

A handout recovered by eratokhabar entitled “Why punish corrupt Baskota!” from the blast site — in which Chand group admits to the blast — has pointed out a number of reasons for punishing the ex-minister.

According to the handout, published by the online portal, the CPN punished Baskota for misusing his position as government spokesperson to commit corruption, for demanding Rs 700 million bribe in planned procurement of security printing press, embezzling millions of rupees in the procurement of satellite worth Rs 24 billion, expansion of 4G service worth 19 billion, expansion of optical fiber worth Rs 10 billion and masterminding the restriction of CPN. 

Meanwhile, the police have held CPN Bhaktapur District Committee member Dev Gurung from Jadibuti in connection with the explosion.

Gurung has been taken to Metropolitan Police Range, Teku for interrogation.

KATHMANDU, Sept 11: The Chitwan Police have arrested Prakash Chand Thakuri, son of Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’ and 14 others on charge of fueling protest programs and disrupting service at Chitwan Medical College.

According to SP Dan Bahadur Malla, chief at District Police Office Chitwan, Chand and others were arrested after they took the protest inside the hospital and tried to vandalize the property there during the protest.

Chand, an MBBS graduate at the Chitwan college, has been leading the protest for the past few days demanding the college charge tuition fees as recommended by the Tribhuvan University Institute of Medicine in Bharatpur.

The agitating students have accused the college of charging around Rs 1.5 million more fees than the fixed amount. The TU Institute had fixed Rs 4.2 million fee for MBBS.

Though the government in July directed the college to return the extra money charged from the students, the college has turned deaf ear to the issued directive.

Meanwhile, the college administration has issued a notice asking all the students to withdraw the protest programs and resume their studies.

CHITWAN, Sept 11: Prakash Chand Thakuri has been arrested from his college premises in Chitwan earlier today. He was taken by the police from the Chitwan Medical College in the morning informed the sources.

Prakash was the head of the organizational committee overseeing the Medical Education Struggle Campaign. He had appealed to the government for its inaction and apathy towards the various forms of corruption and negligence in the medical sector.

He was also in favor of implementing the government’s decision on imparting medical education at a cost that would be affordable for the common man.

Along with Prakash, several other students have also been arrested. Prakash is the son of Netra Bikram Chand aka Biplav the President of Nepal Communist Party which is currently banned by the government.

KATHMANDU, July 18: The Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) led by Netra Bikram Chanda has announced restriction on government vehicles bearing white number plate from plying the road from July 23, stated a press statement issued by the outlawed party on Wednesday.

“All the vehicles bearing white number are restricted from plying the road as part of our battle against government’s activities of banning the people’s party, torturing and murdering our cadres and restricting us from hold peaceful gatherings,” stated the press release.

The party has also warned not to go against their announcement otherwise “the vehicles will be taken under control and taken action against,” the statement reads.

The party has also directed its leaders and cadres to act according to the party decision.

KATHMANDU, June 2: Nepal Communist Party Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that Netra Bikram Chanda ‘Biplav’ will join the ruling party some day in future.

Welcoming Padam Rai, a senior leader of Biplav-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) to his party, amid a function at the party headquarter in Dhumbarai, Dahal said, “I have known Rai for a long time, his experience will definitely take the party forward.”

Rai had earlier quit Mohan Baidya-led Maoist party to join CPN.

“The path Chand is walking will lead him to nowhere but will harm the people and the country. Therefore, he will have to join NCP someday in the future,” Dahal added.

“Biplav is heading in the wrong direction. It is why I decided to quit the party,” said Rai.

The government outlawed outfit CPN was involved in a series of bomb blasts in February targeting Ncell towers which claimed one life and in May a day ahead of their nationwide strike which killed four of their own cadres.

Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa has said that the government is committed to bringing Chand to the mainstream politics.

Although Chand group’s activities are banned, the government will facilitate Chand, if he wants to join the national politics, according to Home Minister Thapa.

‘WE HAVEN’T ASKED FOR 100 MILLION. PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM IS FOR DEVELOPMENT’

KATHMANDU, May 28: Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) should come for negotiation with political agenda, Devendra Paudel, standing committee member of Nepal Communist Party and a Member of Parliament.

“The government cannot support and tolerate any sort of terrorist activities in the country. If Netra Bikram Chand group continues its terrorist activities, the government will take action against them,” said Paudel talking to Rishi Dhamala in a television talk show Janata Janna Chahanchan.

“The government still appeals Chand to come for dialogue. The CPN must place its political agenda and sit for talks with the government following a constitutional process,” he added.

Paudel said that few of Chand’s demands are not negotiable.

“Chand’s demand for dissolution of the government is not a subject of discussion. This is a people-elected government. If he thinks there is an alternative to the incumbent government, negotiation is not possible,” he said.

A day after a series of blasts that took place in different parts of the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday by Chand group—that claimed four lives and left others injured, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli termed the outlawed outfit an anti-development element saying Chand revolution has “no meaning and was carried with an intention to accumulate wealth by terrorizing the people”. He also asked Chand to clarify “what he wanted” and vowed to thwart any attempts threatening the peace of the state and people.

Paudel said that Chand must want to come for negotiation.

“When CK Raut was in jail, he said he opted for talks with the government saying he would abide by the constitution and take his political agendas to the people. The government then honored his request and welcomed him to the mainstream national politics in the condition he would quit his separatist movement,” he said.

“If Chand becomes ready to carry out his activities peacefully and as per the spirit of the constitution, the government is ready to welcome him to the national politics,” he added.

“Panting bombs and terrorizing people to press the government to punish the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats is not a solution and cannot be endured.”

“This will do nothing but disturb the peace. They can protest the corruption in a peaceful way.”

“Chand group’s activities are not in the interest of the people.”

PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM FOR DEVELOPMENT

Paudel also defended the Local Development Partnership Program and Constituency Development Fund saying the lawmakers (directly elected) have demanded 100 million rupees not for money’s sake but for the development.

Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada is preparing to unveil the budget for the fiscal year 2019/2020 with a notable increase in the Partnership Fund, which is being allocated to the 165 lawmakers of lower house elected from the first-past-the-post system. If the fund is allocated as demanded by the lawmakers, the government will have to allocate Rs 21 billion.

“We haven’t demanded the amount. We have asked for the development projects.”

“We have put forth two conditions. We have asked to either give us the development projects worth the amount in order to fulfill the election promises we made to the people or allocate the infrastructure development fund in some other way,” he added.

But the lawmakers’ demand of the fund has been facing criticism from various quarters, including the opposition Nepali Congress, some ruling party leaders themselves who have argued that it will give rise to misuse of state funds in the name of lawmakers.

Even Finance Minister Khatiwada, last year, had attempted to remove the provision of both Fund programs—which started a few years ago– saying it led to the fund misuse. However, his effort had failed following the immense pressure from the lawmakers of both ruling and opposition parties.

“The government monitors the use of the fund allocated to the constituencies. If any lawmaker is found to have abused the fund or committed irregularities, he must be punished.”

Those against the development fund have also argued that lawmakers’ job is not to involve themselves directly in the mobilization of development funds.

“We cannot step back from the development promises we made to the people. We are elected representatives. Our task is not just to formulate laws but to involve in development programs as well’.

The lawmakers elected under the proportional representation system have also expressed discontent over the fund saying they are being discriminated and have demanded the similar funds.

News of the Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’- led Group’s cadres torching transport vehicles in course of their country-wide general shutdown have been received from several places of the country.

Surkhet

The group’s cadres have set a passenger bus on fire at Gochekhola in east Surkhet this morning. The bus (Na 2 Kha 7444) was going towards Chhinchu from Gumi of Gurbhakot municipality-14. The cadres carrying arms stopped the bus and ordered the driver, his assistant and the bus owner to disembark before setting it on fire, the District Police Office said. The bus has been gutted by fire. A suspicious object was also found nearby, police said.

Makawanpur

Life in Makawanpur has been affected by the country-wide general shutdown organized by the Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’ Group this morning. The Group’s cadres have torched trucks at two places in the course of the shutdown in Makawanpur. Police said a bomb was found at Buddhachowk in Hetauda and it has been defused by the Nepal Army. A parked mini-truck (Na 7 Kha 9496) was torched by some unidentified persons at around 1 am today. Similarly, a group of three people sprayed petrol in a truck and set it on fire. The truck (Na 6 Kha 8007) had stopped at Naukhandey and it was set on fire soon after it set out towards Hetauda at 4.15 am.

Nawalparasi

Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’-led Group’s cadres have made arson attack on a truck at 3 am today. They threw a petrol bomb on a truck (Lu 2 Kha 108) on the road at Madhyabindu municipality-11. The truck driver lost control of the vehicle and the truck fell five meters down from the road during the attack, it is learned. The truck driver, 33-year-old Amar BK of Byas municipality-4, Tanahu district has sustained injuries due to this. He has burn injuries in his face and back and is undergoing treatment at a local medical store. Similarly, a jeep came under petrol bomb attack by the Group’s cadres at 3.30 am at Kawasoti municipality-16, police stated. Meanwhile, police took under control and defused a gas cylinder that was readied for explosion at a field in Bulingtar rural municipality of Nawalparasi district. The cylinder bomb was found planted 300 meters from the house of the municipality chair, Sashi Kiran Bastakoti. RSS

KATHMANDU, April 16: Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has urged the government to bring Netra Bikram Chand led Communist Party of Nepal to mainstream national politics through dialogues.

Talking to media in Bhimduttanagar on Tuesday, Deuba stressed in establishing peace and security by bringing Biplav led group to consensus.

“The government cannot do whatever it wants on the power of the two-thirds majority. The government should immediately call Biplav for talks,” he said.

Deuba also accused the government of interfering every sector and trying to control them.

“From appointment academicians at Tribhuvan University to Medical Education Bill, the government has done things that serve its interest. They are trying to keep judiciary, press freedom under its control,” he added.