Police intervention at RSP’s event in Damak leads to demand for action against police inspector

Jhapa – The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has called for action against Police Inspector Navin Rai for allegedly disrupting their program in Damak, Jhapa, in a manner reminiscent of street thuggery.

Prakash Pathak, the acting district president of RSP in Jhapa, issued a press release on Sunday criticizing what he termed as “brazen behavior” by those in power against democratic parties.

According to the release, the incident happened when the Damak municipal committee of the RSP, led by municipal president Tirtha Prasad Lamichhane and attended by around ten people, was collecting public signatures in opposition to political vengeance against party president Rabi Lamichhane. This event was occurring peacefully without any protest against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, near Campus Mode, Damak-4.

During this time, Inspector Rai from the Damak Area Police Office reportedly interfered by seizing and destroying a microphone. Video footage of this act, described as “thuggery and hooliganism,” has surfaced on social media, drawing widespread criticism.

Acting President Pathak expressed dismay, stating that such oppressive interference by the police, despite prior notification, undermined democracy. He questioned whether the microphone vandalism indicated a misuse of governmental machinery driven by fear of their signature campaign.

In the press release, Pathak remarked, “The Prime Minister’s attitude of unconsciously perceiving himself as the sole entity of a party, and opposing others from engaging in activities along the paths he treads or places he stands, not only contradicts the democratic ideals professed but also mocks equitable legal rights. Such actions, driven by the intoxication of power against freedom of democratic expression, are intolerable.”

Inspector Rai has been previously accused of similar conduct. Earlier this year, in Magh, supporters led by Kumar Lingden (Mirak), the central president of the Federal Democratic National Front, were reportedly provoked by Rai during a peaceful protest near Akashe Bridge in Damak-6.