Security bodies urge coordination to manage RPP’s Tuesday protest

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Apr. 8: The three security bodies held a meeting in the capital on Monday ahead of prescheduled street protest and rallies to be organised by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) led by Rajendra Lingden.

The meeting concluded that lack of coordination among the security forces deployed jointly during major protests and movements could lead to significant damage, for which the security agencies themselves would be held accountable. Therefore, it was decided that they must work in coordination.

The joint meeting, which included Inspector General of Nepal Police Deepak Thapa, Inspector General of Armed Police Force Nepal Raju Aryal, and Chief Investigation Director of the National Investigation Department Hutaraj Thapa, instructed the district police chiefs of the Valley, chiefs of the Armed Police Force, and traffic police officers to work in close coordination.

According to IGP Aryal of the Armed Police, the directive was issued to ensure there would be no lack of coordination in the field, even though personnel from all three security agencies would be deployed during the protest.

“We must not harbour any hostility among the organisations. We have directed them to work in a coordinated and restrained manner in the field to prevent any damage,” Aryal told The Rising Nepal. “As civil servants serving the nation, none of us should be hostile toward one another.”

The RPP is staging a protest in Balkhu on Tuesday. 

The RPP had earlier told that more than 12,000 participants were expected in Tuesday's protest. In the security coordination meeting, instructions were given to security personnel not to provoke the protestors, not to act immediately against them, and to use force only if absolutely necessary.

As there was widespread criticism over the excessive use of force and shooting by the police during the royalist protest on March 28, the three security agencies have been directed to work in such a coordinated manner that the use of force may not be needed during Tuesday’s protest.

Participants in the meeting said such meetings send a positive message down to the grassroots level and emphasised the need for similar discussions in the future as well.