Reports related to PM Sharma announcement that his government will fight Netra Bikram Chand and his party has been featured in most newspapers along with news of sacked SP Dilli Raj Bista being released on a bail of Rs 1 million. The filing of a writ at the Supreme Court against the Muslim Commission chief Samim Miya Ansari has also made it to some newspapers front pages on Monday.
Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories from the front pages of national broadsheets:
Important
Govt issues CPN new warning
Kantipur, Annapurna Post, Republica, The Himalayan Times and Naya Patrika all report that the Ministry of Home Affairs has warned the general public, businesspersons and all organisations against extending any support or assistance, including donation, to the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal.
The ministry stated that the CPN was behaving like a ‘terrorist’ outfit and appealed to all not to come under the influence of threat, intimidation, and inducement of the ‘group’.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during an address to the parliament, said requested everyone to report to police if any threat or extortion demand is made by the group. PM Oli also told Chand to surrender weapons or get prepared for more crackdowns.
PM Oli said that the government has been waiting for the former rebel party to give up weapons within the given deadline which expires next week. Failing to do so, he said, would result in further crackdowns.
Prime Minister Oli said that the government would resort to more stringent measures if the party doesn’t give up criminal activities like extortion and bombing. Oli also dismissed the possibility of dialogue with the party, which has remained semi-underground since months. He said that the submission of weapon is a precondition for talks.
Opposition parties including Nepali Congress, Naya Shakti Party, and Bibeksheel Nepali Party have been urging the government to resolve the issue through talks.
Ansari appointment challenged at SC
The Himalayan Times and Republica report that a writ petition was filed at the Supreme Court on Sunday challenging the appointment of Samim Miya Ansari as the head of the Muslim Commission. Ansari was appointed the chairperson of the commission after the Parliamentary Hearing Committee failed to conduct confirmation hearing for him within 45 days.
Abdul Salam, a resident of Kapilvastu district, filed the case against Ansari, saying his appointment was illegal as the PHC, which was supposed to give reasons for not taking a decision on his appointment, kept silent letting the 45-day period elapsed. The petitioner also argued that Ansari had not reached 45 years of age at the time of recommendation, a criterion for eligibility.
Salam stated that as per Section 3 of the Muslim Commission Act, the candidate for chairperson of the commission should be a non-political person, but at the time of recommendation, Ansari was a member of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and his name had also been included on the proportional representation list for the House of Representatives.
Stating that if Ansari was allowed to work as chairperson of the Muslim Commission, it would undermine the dignity of the constitutional body and it could also cause irreparable loss to the country, the petitioner urged the court to stay Ansari from working as the chairman of the commission.
Ignored
Gold worth 1.3 million confiscated from the airport
Rajdhani reports that a person has been arrested for the possession of gold worth Rs 1.3 million. Police arrested 31-year-old Faheemudin Miya in the parking bay at the airport with around 250 grams gold in his possession. According to sources, Miya has been sent to the airport’s customs department.
Janakpur bomb blast hearing starts after half a decade
Republica reports that Dhanusha District Court on Sunday started the hearings on the notorious case of a bomb blast in Janakpur in 2012 which took five lives. Sanjay Sah who was Member of Parliament has been in police custody for the past six years on the charge of masterminding the blast. The bomb went off at Ramanand Chowk in Janakpur on April 30, 2012, amidst a peaceful hunger strike, demanding the formation of a Mithila state. The blast claimed the lives of four people, injuring 32 others.
It is believed that the court will give its verdict within the next three days as the arguments of more than a dozen lawyers are yet to be recorded at the court.
41 rhinos die in nine months
Nagarik and Annapurna Post reports that 41 rhinos have died in Chitwan National Park in the last nine months. Information officer of the park, Gopal Bahadur Ghimire says that all rhinos died due to natural causes. Ghimire also informed that this was the highest number of death in a single year. Seven rhinos aged between 1-10, five aged between 10-20, seven aged between 20-30 and give aged above 30 are believed to have died in the past nine months. Ghimire also informed that age of 17 other rhinos wasn’t available.
Gandaki Medical College officials still on the run
Naya Patrika reports that nine administrative officials of Gandaki Medical College, including college chairman Khuma Prasad Aryal, are still on the run even weeks after a forgery case was filed against them at the Kaski District Court by the students. Students have accused the college officials of charging them more than the fee fixed by the government.
However, Aryal and eight others–Principal Rabeendra Prasad Shrestha; Chief Administrative Officer Krishna Ghimire; Finance Controller Yub Raj Sharma; Account Officials Hari Maya Poudel and Dinesh Poudel; Store-keeper Krishna Poudel and Staffers Bishworaj Ghimire and Tilak Poudel–have been on the run after police issued an arrest warrant
Interesting
SC refuses to free Kist Bank ex-chief Gyawali
Arthik Abhiyan reports that the Supreme Court on Sunday refused to free Kamal Gyawali, the then chief of Kist Bank, who has been serving a jail sentence after being convicted of banking fraud. A division bench of justices Kedar Prasad Chalise and Dambar Bahadur Shahi handed down the verdict stating that Gyawali could not be released, following hearings on Sunday on a case filed by Gyawali.
The apex court rejected his plea to release him through a habeas corpus order even though he claimed that he has been detained illegally as he was convicted by the Patan High Court and still he was supposed to file an appeal at the Supreme Court. Gyawali has been serving a four-year jail sentence according to the decision of the Patan High Court which also imposed a fine of Rs 42.7 million on him for bank fraud.
CEC Yadav retires leaving EC without a chief
Nepal Samacharpatra, Annapurna Post and Republica report that the Election Commission (EC) is left without the head as Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ayodhee Prasad Yadav retired on Sunday, completing his six-year term in office. Yadav, a lecturer of Economics, served two terms in his office becoming the longest-serving commissioner at the election body.
Yadav left a mixed legacy during his stay in office. Both national and international stakeholders credited him for his excellent leadership mainly during his second stint in holding three sets of elections—local, provincial and parliamentary elections—in 2017 within a year that too in a free, fair and peaceful manner.
Another commissioner Ila Sharma also retired along with Yadav.
