KATHMANDU: The CPN-UML has strongly condemned the arrest of its Vice-Chairman Bishnu Prasad Paudel, terming the government’s action illegal, extrajudicial, and deeply prejudiced.

Emerging from a parliamentary party meeting held at the party headquarters in Chyasal on Tuesday, Chief Whip Ain Mahar stated that the arrest directly undermines the rule of law and democratic principles.

Demanding Paudel’s immediate and unconditional release, Mahar accused the government of orchestrating a systematic campaign of political vendetta against leaders and activists holding dissenting views, warning that the administration would be held solely responsible for any ensuing political instability if such high-handedness continues.

In response to the government’s increasingly authoritarian trajectory, the UML parliamentary party passed a resolution to fiercely counter these actions through strong, constructive, and coordinated opposition inside the parliament. Beyond the political standoff, the meeting also urged the government to address critical public grievances.

The party drew urgent attention toward resolving ongoing bottlenecks in tea exports, curbing the inflation of consumer goods caused by recent hikes in petroleum prices, ensuring the smooth and timely distribution of chemical fertilizers for farmers, and keeping state mechanisms fully prepared to mitigate damage from potential natural disasters.