Medical Entrepreneur Durga Prasai Arrested Again in Bhaktapur Amid Election Tensions
Medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai was arrested from Bhaktapur on Sunday. SP Surya Khadka of the District Police Range, Bhaktapur, along with two DSPs, arrived at Prasai's residence in Bhaktapur for the arrest.
He is currently being held in the custody of the District Police Range, Bhaktapur, after obtaining a five-day remand from the District Administration Office on charges of disturbing public peace. Following the 'Jenji' agitation on Bhadra 23 and 24, the interim government formed afterward was led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki. Since Sushila Karki took the helm of the government, Prasai has been arrested for the fifth time.
Even as the country headed towards elections after the 'Jenji' agitation, Prasai was unwilling to participate in the elections. He continuously sought to take to the streets against the government with 26 demands, including system change and loan waiver up to 2 million rupees. However, the government has been stopping him. Prasai was arrested by the police when he attempted to agitate in Mangsir 2082.
He was released by order of the Supreme Court after being arrested on Mangsir 2 on charges of making inflammatory statements. Since then, the police have been arresting him to prevent him from agitating and disrupting the election environment. The government has been unable to file any serious charges against him. The security strategy appears to be keeping him detained by involving him in cases related to disturbing public peace, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Chief District Officer.
Senior police officials state that the Prasai group is one of the challenges seen in the elections scheduled for Falgun 21. During the preparation of the integrated security plan for the House of Representatives election, approved by the Central Security Committee, security analysis indicated that Durga Prasai's 'Nation, Nationality, Religion, Culture, and Citizen Protection Grand Campaign' could disrupt the elections.
After being arrested in Mangsir, Prasai met with interim government Prime Minister Sushila Karki three times. When the government was unwilling to meet his demands, Prasai announced an agitation starting from Falgun 1. Since then, Prasai has been continuously targeted by the police. Announcing the agitation, Prasai had said, 'Elections only after the interim constitution is implemented, otherwise we will not let the elections happen.'
Although he claims to be working to solve the problems of the common people, Prasai often gets into controversy due to his 'mild statements'. He was arrested from Pokhara on Magh 5 after making a public statement that the faction led by Gagan Thapa, elected as the President from the special general convention of the Nepali Congress, had secured official recognition by submitting fees to the Election Commission. He was released the next day on charges of disturbing public peace.
Prasai, who was heading to Birgunj to start an agitation with the plan to disrupt the election, was arrested from Chhalkhel on Magh 23. At that time, the police filed a case against him for violating the election code of conduct through electronic means. Prior to that, news emerged that he had met with KP Sharma Oli on Magh 22.
Upon receiving this information, security officials briefed Prime Minister Karki on the need to arrest him. After meeting Oli, Prasai was heading to Parsa to hold a program in Birgunj. Security agencies briefed interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki based on intelligence that Prasai was about to start a campaign to disrupt the elections scheduled for Falgun 21 after holding a program in Birgunj. A senior official of Nepal Police says, 'The decision to arrest Prasai was made after that briefing.'
Prasai, who faced a case of electronic crime, was released on bail on Magh 25, but was arrested again on Falgun 4. At that time, the police accused him of being involved in activities to sabotage the election. He was released on Falgun 13 by the order of Supreme Court Justices Manoj Kumar Sharma and Meghraj Pokharel.
Prasai has been arrested again four days after being released by the order of the Supreme Court. A senior police official says, 'Elections are happening in the country; those who do not have the courage to test the mandate of the people are only trying to disrupt the elections, so we have arrested and detained him.'
The first meeting between Prime Minister Sushila Karki and Prasai took place at Baluwatar on Mangsir 22. On that day, Prasai gifted the Prime Minister a statue of Buddha. During their meeting on Poush 15, Prime Minister Karki gifted him a framed picture of Buddha.
Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal and Communication Minister Jagadish Kharel also participated in the bilateral discussion held at Singha Durbar on Poush 17. Representatives from Prasai's side also participated that day.
Government officials state that there was no agreement on the demands raised by Prasai, including system change and loan waiver up to 2 million rupees, during the bilateral discussions.
After the government refused to meet his demands, Prasai chose the path of agitation. Prasai has been insisting that elections should only take place after amending the constitution and establishing an interim constitution.
When was Prasai arrested?
– Mangsir 2, 2082, charge of disturbing public peace.
– Magh 5, 2082, charge of disturbing public peace
– Magh 23, 2082, violation of election code of conduct
– Falgun 4, 2082, involvement in activities to sabotage the election
– Falgun 17, 2082, charge of disturbing public peace
This specific news has been automatically translated by AI. As a result, there may be some inaccuracies or language errors.
