Gagan Thapa questions govt’s actions, warns against arbitrary exercise of power

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) President Gagan Thapa has questioned the government’s recent activities, expressing concern that certain groups within the state machinery have begun acting as though they themselves represent the state.

He criticised what he described as the arbitrary exercise of power, saying that some people in government appeared to believe that their personal wishes and decisions constituted the law. Speaking at a press conference organised at the party’s central office on Sunday, Thapa commented on the government’s recent actions, particularly the police’s handling of journalists’ arrests and other related incidents.

Referring to the arrest and subsequent release of several journalists, Thapa said the issue could not be considered resolved simply because those arrested had been freed.

“Some friends were arrested and later released, but the matter cannot be resolved that way. It is not over,” he said. “The fundamental questions are how the government understands its authority and how it views freedom of expression.”

He said recent police activities had raised serious questions about the government’s approach to exercising state power and its respect for democratic freedoms. “The police went to the media house simply because they had received orders from their superiors,” he said. “In some places, officials reportedly saw news reports in newspapers and were instructed to take action.”