PM Oli Should Take Full Responsibility for March 28 Riots: RPP Lawmaker Pradhan

Dhruva Bahadur Pradahn, a senior leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Member of Parliament, has accused the government to orchestrating the March 28 Tinkune riots in a premeditated manner. 

Pradhan was referring to the loss of two lives, properties and injuries that took place against the backdrop of vandalism, looting, arson and the use of brute force on the part of the state during the protest. 

Referring to the simultaneous protests from pro-monarchist forces and republican forces on March 28, Pradhan, speaking in the House of Representatives on Friday, accused the government of billing one protest as wrong and another as right.

Pradhan questioned, referring to the protest of the republicans, which the government had lauded as peaceful and disciplined: Would the protest have remained peaceful if police had fired teargas canisters?

Describing the scene at Tinkune on March 28, he said: Teargas shells were fired when the national anthem was being played. At the end of that day on that spot, around 800 teargas shells must have been fired. This shows that the government provoked it all. 

He said: On that day, the chain of command was broken. As the leader of the government, the Prime Minister should take full responsibility.  

Pradhan demanded the formation of a judicial commission for conducting an impartial investigation and taking the case to a logical conclusion. “While we are holding the government responsible, the government is washing its hands of. In such a situation, it will be appropriate to constitute a judicial commission for investigating the case. 

In connection with the riots, police have arrested more than 70 suspects, including Rastriya Prajatantra Party leaders Dhawal Shumsher Rana and Rabindra Mishra.