Incident Reports

In Jan 22 run up, govt plugs security holes

2015-01-10

Bagmati, Kathmandu, Kathmandu

 The government is bracing for a potential security threat that could come from the extreme left and right forces in and around January 22, a self-imposed deadline set by the political parties to promulgate the New Constitution. Though no big security threats have been identified so far, the Home Ministry’s assessment has suggested that the Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist and fundamental religious groups could spur tension if there is no agreement on constitution drafting. “For instance, some pro-Hindu outfits could try to derail the constitution drafting process by demanding restoration of Hindu identity,” a senior Home Ministry official said on Friday. The ministry has already instructed the chiefs of all 75 districts to come up with an integrated security plan, focusing on the situation that could arise before and after January 22, and update the ministry on a daily basis.

Besides, the ministry has also been holding regular meetings with the officials of security agencies as the deadline for the constitution promulgation draws near. These meetings, according to the ministry officials, are focused on the activities of the 30-party alliance led by UCPN (Maoist), the CPN (Maoist) led by Mohan Baidya, the Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist, and various religious and ethnic outfits. The security agencies are of the view that the public support to the UCPN (Maoist)-led alliance at the grassroots level is low, though they are capable of provoking the law enforcement officers during protests. The focus is primarily on the Chand-led Maoist faction and religious groups, a source said. Security agencies have increased their vigilance on the activities of Chand’s party following its national gathering in Dang. As for the armed outfits in the Tarai and eastern hill districts, a senior ministry official said, the threat level is quite low since they have remained relatively inert in recent times. It is not clear, though, if the government plans on mobilizing the military to keep law and order.

According to the Nepal Army, the government has not made any request for military mobilization post-January 22. “We have not received any request from the government, but we are keeping stock of the security situation of the country,” said Nepal Army Spokesperson Brigadier General Jagadish Chandra Pokhrel. Meanwhile, officials at the Home Ministry have said that the government will consider assigning the Army for the supply of essentials to the Capital and other parts of the country if a protest or a strike paralyzes the normal life and traffic. Otherwise, the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force are capable of controlling the situation. Laxmi Prasad Dhakal, the spokesperson at the Home Ministry, said the security agencies have been told to exercise maximum restraint while dealing with protestors.

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