The March 28 violence at Tinkune is not a minor incident as two youths, including one media person, were killed and some houses, including the Jadibuti Kendra have been badly burnt. 

The general public, human rights activists, academicians, legal experts and intellectuals, except those members of the Open Society, are demanding the constitution of a judicial probe commission but Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak are taking a stance saying that there is no need to constitute such a probe committee and the Home Ministry is investigating by itself. When a minor incident took place in Pokhara while inaugurating a function with a minor injury to Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel and Pokhara Mayor Dhanraj Acharya, immediately, a probe committee was constituted. When two youths were killed and around two dozen of youths were injured from the Police firing, the government is denying to constitute a probe commission.

It is serious to note that the Police had used date expired tear gas and also heavily used firing on the peaceful mass. Those, involved in the burning of the Jadibuti Center were not pro-monarchy activists but were used by the parties in the government to carry out destructive activities with the plan of defaming the pro-monarchy people.

The parties in the government and also those pro-republican parties have penetrated their men to defame the pro-monarchy forces gathered at Tinkune for a peaceful demonstration.

The Human Rights Committee in Parliament discussed the incident but, under political pressure, was unable to instruct the government to form a judiciary probe commission. It is an utter surprise that the Human Rights Commission has not taken the incident seriously. The entire plan is to blame those pro-monarchy campaigners, therefore, they have kept under police arrest RPP’s senior leaders Rabindra Mishra and Dhawal Shumsher Rana, and commander of the peaceful rally, Durga Prasain, among dozens of others. The Police, under the instruction of the Home Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office, are planning to file several cases against them.

The reality is that the present government has already lost its popularity among the people everywhere, when the PM is travelling, we can hear the louder voice, “… thieves, quit the country!” Now, when those in the government conducting itself have proved that it is unable to accept the independent judiciary investigation as it is directly involved in violence and disturbing the peaceful assembly by seriously violating the human rights guaranteed by the constitution. Be that as it may, nobody, except those in the government will trust the report prepared by those who were to be suspended immediately – PM Oli and Home Minister Lekhak.

If the present government believes in independent investigation, it must constitute an independent judiciary commission, otherwise, we cannot accept the one-sided report presented by the government.