Nepalese troops patrol streets as violence-hit nation returns to normalcy
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Kathmandu (PTI): Nepalese troops on Wednesday patrolled the streets to restore order and to quell possible violence "under the guise of agitation" as the Himalayan nation slowly returned to normalcy, a day after violent demonstrations forced Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to resign.
The Nepal Army, which took control of security from Tuesday night after incidents of arson and vandalism across the country, imposed nationwide restrictive orders followed by a curfew until 6 am Thursday.
The national capital wore a deserted look as soldiers guarded the streets and ordered people to stay at home, a day after protesters set fire to the key government buildings, political parties' offices and homes of senior politicians. There were no reports of violence on Wednesday.
In a statement, the army said that measures were necessitated to curb possible incidents of looting, arson, and other destructive activities "under the guise of agitation".
The army warned that any form of demonstrations, vandalism, arson, or attacks on individuals and property during the restrictive period would be treated as criminal acts and dealt with accordingly.
As the situation returns to normalcy, the protesting Gen Z group held discussions to finalise the name of the person to lead an interim government.
Former chief justice Sushila Karki, Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah and former electricity board CEO Kulman Ghising were among the names being considered by the group to lead the interim government, sources said on Wednesday.
Karki is the only woman to serve as the chief justice of Nepal's top court.
Nepali Congress General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma issued a joint statement, saying they are ready to cooperate with the Gen Z group. However, they emphasised that any decision must follow the constitutional and legal process.
“Lawlessness only leads to further chaos. Therefore, during the talks, we urge the President and the Gen Z representatives to ensure that a new political structure is formed for governance and elections without causing a prolonged constitutional vacuum or instability,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu resumed services from Wednesday evening, 24 hours after closing its operations due to violent protests.
In a notice, the TIA management asked the passengers concerned to contact their respective airline companies for re-confirmation (of their flights). It said all domestic and international flights, which had been suspended, are now cleared to operate.
The Nepal Army has asked the "foreign nationals, stranded due to the current difficult situation, to contact the nearest security post or security people for their rescue or any other help.”
It has also requested hotels, tourism entrepreneurs and related agencies concerned to provide necessary help to the needy foreign nationals.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the violent protests led by the 'Gen Z' group in the last two days increased to 30, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.
In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the ministry said 1,061 people were injured. It said 719 of the injured have been discharged, while 274 have been admitted to the hospital.
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Congress demands PM Modi to come clean on 'disclosures' on him made in Epstein files
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Sunday demanded answers from Narendra Modi following “disclosures” in the Epstein files in the US that some “monsters” had access to him, and said the prime minister should come clean on the issue.
Congress general secretary in charge of organisation, K C Venugopal, said in a post on X, "The reports of the new batch of Epstein Files are a huge wake-up call about the kind of monsters who have access to PM Modi, and how susceptible he is to foreign manipulation.
"The Congress demands that the prime minister personally come clean on these disturbing disclosures that raise serious questions.”
“Has he met Jeffrey Epstein? Or did he send someone to meet him? What did his conversations with Epstein involve,” the Congress leader asked.
The Epstein files are thousands of pages of documents related to two criminal investigations into sex trafficking by financier Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, including travel logs, recordings, and emails, which have been a topic of conversation since Epstein died in custody in 2019.
Venugopal claimed equally concerning was a report that while India’s foreign policy was changing dramatically, Prime Minister Modi was “dancing and singing” to the tunes of “tainted” individuals like Epstein to “benefit foreign powers”.
“People of India deserve an answer,” Venugopal said.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said, "The prime minister himself must clarify.”
Congress leader Pawan Khera also asked whether Modi was in touch with a "disgraceful" American such as Epstein right around the 2019 elections.
On Saturday, the BJP accused the Congress of spreading misinformation against Prime Minister Modi by "twisting" a generic email fragment of investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein into a political smear, asserting that there is "zero evidence" of any direct or indirect interaction between the two.
The Ministry of External Affairs strongly rejected a reference to Modi in the investigative files related to Epstein, describing it as "little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal" that deserves to be dismissed with the "utmost contempt".
