And of course, the CPN-UML tries to wring each'n'every ounce of the "attack" on their red HQ in Kalanki. Interestingly enough Oli mentions 'punishement of dozens of police officers', and downplays his own/his party's role in setting-up the provocationAction against officers ruffles feathers in Nepal Police
BY BIKASH SANGRAULA KATHMANDU, Dec 5 - The suspension of three police officials, Monday, on charges of security mismanagement has ruffled feathers at Nepal Police. The suspension follows the recent incident in which the royal motorcade escorting Crown Prince Paras to Tribhuvan International airport last Friday was pelted with stones at Baneshwor. While high-ranking police officials concede that the attack on the royal motorcade resulted from major security failure, they argue that the incident occurred due to poor planning and lapses in communication. "It is customarily the military police that decides the route for VVIP motorcades. They chose the Minbhawan route in the security meeting that took place Thursday, despite being informed about the CPN-UML demonstration that was to take place less than 20 meters from a section of the route," said one senior police official. The security meeting that takes place a day before a VVIP motorcade also outlines two alternative routes for escorting the motorcade as well as emergency exit and emergency refuge. The meeting is attended by the IGP, Valley DIG, District SP, chief of valley traffic police, military police officials, the chief district officer, and officials from National Investigation Department. Apart from having the final say on route selection, the military police also forms the closest security cover in a royal motorcade. An official royal motorcade is led by a traffic police vehicle responsible for road clearance, followed by warning motorcycles, a traffic police van, a leader van, the VVIP vehicle(s), two military police cars and finally a vehicle of the police chief. This was the exact sequence in which crown prince Paras' motorcade moved from the royal palace. The rioters also pelted a few stones at the king's limousine which preceded the motorcade. On the other hand, the rioters hurled several stones at the crown prince's vehicle. Police officials say that there was a major communication failure among security agencies Friday. For moving a royal motorcade, the security escorts inform everyone in the motorcade as well as security personnel posted along the way to switch their communication sets from Channel 2 to Channel 1. "On Friday, the security personnel stationed on the way were not informed to switch channels and therefore did not know that the motorcade was approaching," a key police official told the Post. Even if they had known, they would still not have been able to do much. "A handful of police personnel cannot control hundreds of rioters," he said. On Monday, the ministry for Home Affairs suspended SP Indra Prasad Neupane, chief of Kathmandu District Police Office, who was responsible for security from New Baneshwor to Tinkune. Inspector Surendra Mainali, in-charge of Swayambhu Ward Police Office and Inspector Bhabesh Rimal of Bhaktapur District Police Office, who had been called from their stations to aid security in Minbhawan area, were also handed suspension letters. Valley Deputy Inspector General of Police Krishna Basnet was in-charge of the area. A five-member committee formed by police chief Shyam Bhakta Thapa, Saturday, is slated to come out with its report on Tuesday. This is the first time in 14 years that a member of the royal family has come under attack in public. In 1990, stones were hurled at late Queen Aishwarya at Pashupatinath temple area. In September 1, 2004, the day after Iraqi militants killed 12 Nepalese workers in cold blood, riots spread in Kathmandu. Nearly 100 manpower agencies and personal properties were burnt and vandalized. Not a single police officer faced action for the security lapse.
These guys will not understand 'censorship' and 'free-pres' until they take toilet-cleaning job in Saudi Arabia! Oli can come with tese kinds of accusations, widely read, as I type, by hundreds of thousands in the Valley, endlessly repeated on KANTIPUR TV and Radio for millions of others, and he has the cheek to complain about FREEDOM OF THE PRESS!Think Twice Before Attacking Parties, Oli Warns 'Hooligans'
THT Online Kathmandu, December 7
CPN-UML leader KP Sharma Oli warned the "small groups of hooligans" not to mess with the political parties that have mass support and strong roots at all levels in the capital. He was addressing an interaction programme organised by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists Kathmandu on Tuesday.
Responding to a query related to the foiled attacks on CPN-UML and NC offices following the Naya Baneshower incident last Friday, he said, "Those who want to attack political parties like ours' should think twice before taking any action." But he assured that the parties were "responsible" and would not reciprocate violence with violence.
Oli said that the police had inhumanely detained school-going children and waiters serving in local restaurants after some hooligans tried to disrupt the mass meet at Naya Baneshwor.
"Two parties pelted stones at each other across the street. One of them hit a passing car. This incident was enough to punish dozens of police officers. This is a unique example of autocracy," he said.
He said that every autocrat was afraid of free media as h/she does not want the public to hear any bad news. "The dissemination of true information goes against the wishes of an autocrat. This can be inferred from what has been happening in Nepal in the past ten months," he said.
Gimme a break, the debate here, at least AGINST THE MONARCHY is as free as it gets!
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