Debtors storm through parliament gate, 50 held

A crowd of debtors breached security arrangements in place at one of the prohibited areas in the Capital—the federal parliament—on Monday and staged a demonstration on its premises in a bid to make the state address their demands—dissolution of microfinances, loan waiver, removal of their names from the black list and freeing up of their collaterals. 

The crowd that had poured in Kathmandu from several districts, mainly from the Tarai, on Sunday after walking for days on end entered through Gate No 3 after adjournment of meetings of both the upper and lower chambers of the parliament, shouted slogans despite warnings from security personnel, leaving the latter overwhelmed. 

Later on, police arrested 48 women and one man for the breach. They are in the custody of Metropolitan Police Circle at Baneshwor. 

It may be noted that the government has already declared several security-sensitive areas, including Singhadurbar, federal parliament premises at New Baneshwor, Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar and the President’s office (Sheetal Niwas at Maharajgunj) prohibited areas, disallowing protests at those addresses. 

In the wake of the breach, Nepal Police headquarters has formed a three-member committee under SSP Dineshraj Mainali to investigate the security breach, with SP Navaraj Adhikari of Kathmandu District Police Circle and DSP Dinesh Ghimire of Kathmandu Valley Police Office as members. 

The committee’s ToR includes preparing and submitting a report by finding holes in security arrangements in place at the restricted area and suggesting corrective measures.  

Meanwhile, Speaker Devraj Ghimire has gathered information about the security breach from Inspector General of Nepal Police Basanta Bahadur Kunwar.