KATHMANDU: The CPN-UML has strongly condemned the arrest of its Vice-Chair Bishnu Prasad Paudel, accusing the government of carrying out an unlawful and politically motivated action.
In a press statement issued on Monday by party chair KP Sharma Oli, the UML described Paudel’s arrest in Surkhet as being carried out in an “abduction-style manner” and denounced the move as a serious attack on democratic norms and the rule of law.
The party claimed Paudel was in Surkhet to participate in organisational and election review programmes and was scheduled to return to Kathmandu the following day. UML argued that authorities could have sought clarification or conducted questioning through normal legal procedures rather than resorting to arrest.
“The current ruling side’s naked political retaliation against opposition parties has reached another extreme,” Oli said in the statement. “This repressive action is clearly a continuation of a series of political attacks and conspiracies directed against me and the UML.”
The statement further alleged that the government deliberately ignored legal alternatives and instead opted for arrest to gain short-term political mileage.
UML accused the government of moving toward authoritarianism, warning that targeting opposition leaders through such actions would have serious political consequences.
“The government is heading down an undemocratic, authoritarian path. We warn the authorities to immediately stop such vindictive actions against opposition leaders,” the statement said.
The party also called on democratic forces, supporters of justice, and patriotic citizens to unite against what it described as arbitrary and anti-democratic government actions.
Paudel was arrested on Monday while attending UML’s internal organisational restructuring and election review programmes in Surkhet.
