Kathmandu, October 27
Two people, including Akram Khan, coordinator of the Lumbini Bachau Mahaabhiyan, were arrested late Monday night amid protests demanding the cancellation of Ani Choying Drolma’s appointment as vice-chair of the Lumbini Development Trust.
According to Ram Bikash Chaudhary, co-coordinator of the campaign, police arrested Khan, 61, and Babiuddin Musalman, 33, from their homes in Parsachok, Lumbini, while they were sleeping.
The campaign has demanded the unconditional release of both men, accusing police of detaining them in the middle of the night despite their protests being peaceful.
The Rupandehi District Police Office confirmed the arrests, saying the two were taken into custody for investigation over alleged “disorderly activities” in a public place. They are being held at the District Police Office in Bhairahawa.
The campaign has been organising a series of protests demanding that Drolma’s appointment be revoked and that a qualified local person be appointed to the trust. On Monday afternoon, campaigners also burned an effigy of Culture and Tourism Minister Ganesh Paudel at Parsachok.
Drolma’s appointment has drawn objections from several groups, including the Lumbini Bachau Mahaabhiyan, the Kapilvastu Tilaurakot Struggle Committee, provincial lawmakers from Lumbini, former minister Chandra Kesh Gupta, senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi and the Rastriya Gen Z Nagarik Abhiyan.
The groups have questioned the appointment, alleging that Drolma had not applied for the position of vice-chair.
They have also raised questions about her citizenship by descent and the legitimacy and transparency of millions of rupees she reportedly received from Hong Kong. The allegations have not been established.
The groups say Drolma’s appointment should be accepted only after an impartial investigation into the concerns raised against her and a determination that she has been cleared of wrongdoing.
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