RSP cadres and cooperative victims face off in Pokhara

Pokhara, October 20 — In response to the arrest of Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) president Rabi Lamichhane, leaders and supporters of the party are set to demonstrate again on Sunday. Meanwhile, victims of cooperative fraud have also decided to stage a protest in Pokhara.

One group will be protesting against Rabi's arrest, while another group of cooperative victims will demand action against him, creating a tense atmosphere. The Rashtriya Swatantra Party has begun announcements at Shahid Chowk since early Sunday morning, and the gathering of leaders, supporters, and well-wishers is already underway.

Additionally, there will be a protest by cooperative victims near Shahid Chowk. Reports indicate that they will assemble at Mustang Chowk before marching to Nepal Rastra Bank Chowk, which is only about 50 meters away. Given that both groups will be protesting close to each other, a large number of police have been deployed to prevent any clashes.

The distance from the protest site to the Kaski District Court is approximately 100 minutes. Lamichhane was arrested on Friday for alleged involvement in cooperative fraud and was brought to Pokhara for investigation. He is set to be presented in court today.

Protest sites declared as restricted zone

Meanwhile, following the subsequent emergence of two opposing protest groups, the Kaski administration has declared two areas in Pokhara as restricted zones.

Bharatmani Pandey, the chief district officer of Kaski, announced the restricted areas from 11:45 AM until further notice.

Accordingly, the vicinity of Shahid Chowk in Pokhara and the area around Gairapatan have been designated as restricted zones.

In detail, the restricted area around Shahid Chowk extends east to Y Chowk, west to Fishtail Chowk, north to the Land Revenue Office, and south to Mustang Chowk. Similarly, the area around Gairapatan includes the road from Palikhe Chowk to Nabin Secondary School.

The administration has indicated that any gathering of more than five individuals in the restricted areas will be subject to legal action.