5 hours of Ram Kumari Jhankri's arrest: The Oli government backed down after all-round criticism

 

Kathmandu,

Central member of the CPN-Prachanda-Nepal Ram Kumari Jhankri, who was arrested after a controversial speech criticizing President Bidyadevi Bhandari, has finally been released. Police released her in the evening after widespread protests. She was arrested by the police from her residence in Shankhamul at around 1.10 pm on Thursday and was released after being detained for about five hours at 6.20 pm.

Asking Jhankri to go to the office for 'interrogation' CPN (Maoist) cadres had chanted slogans since the police reached his residence. Similarly, Jhankri had also sought an arrest warrant saying that she would not go to the office. Police then issued an arrest warrant for her under Article 58 of the Penal Code.

She was arrested by the police at around 1:10 pm and handed over to the Metropolitan Crime Investigation Branch. The arrest of Jhanki was done under the direction of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli Leaders of various political parties and their leader had strongly criticized him on social media and demanded his release.

Similarly, CPN (Maoist) cadres took to the streets demanding his release and a clash broke out between police and CPN (Maoist) cadres in Baneshwor. The government was embarrassed by all-round criticism, pressure and the possibility of further agitation in the coming days where CPN (Maoist) leaders Surendra Pandey, Yogesh Bhattarai and others went to the branch and held discussions and facilitation with the police.

According to sources, he was arrested at the behest of Prime Minister KP Oli and his aides rather than at the behest of the police. Police, who were not in the mood to get involved in political issues, reached the residence to arrest her after constant pressure from his colleagues and the Home Ministry. However, the police did not want to keep her in custody after the arrest where The government was forced to release Jhankri within five hours after Baluwatar and other government bodies realized the same thing.

Despite being released, Jhankri responded that she was released as the government could not withstand all-round pressure. She also announced that the movement against regression would be even stronger. "The government released me because I could not resist the pressure. The anti-regression movement is still strong, it is being built, ”she said after her release.

At the branch, Jhankri told the police that she had respect for the president and the organization. Chief of the Division, SSP Deepak Thapa, said that Jhankri had always respected the President and the organization and would continue to do so in the days to come. 

According to him, Jhankri had said that she had given a speech criticizing the President as the constitution has given freedom of expression. Speaking at a program in Gorkha on January 3, She said, "It was a mistake for Vidya Bhandari to contest the election in a white sari." She had strongly criticized the President. The women leaders of the Oli group objected to the statement and handed over a memorandum to the Prime Minister and Home Minister demanding action against her.