Security personnel withdrawn from UML central office, party says no formal notice received

Armed Police Force personnel deployed for security at the CPN-UML central office in Chyasal have been withdrawn since Monday.

According to party office secretary Bhishma Adhikari, about five armed police personnel had been deployed round the clock at the office. He said the team on duty until Sunday returned to their unit on Monday. He said the number of personnel fluctuated but had never gone below that figure, and that armed police had been regularly deployed there since the party office moved to Chyasal in 2078 BS.

UML publicity department chief Neeraj Acharya said no formal letter had been received from the government regarding the withdrawal of security personnel. According to him, the security personnel left the office on their own on Monday morning, and the party does not know the reason for their withdrawal. He said discussions have begun within the party on how to arrange security for the office going forward.

Armed Police Force spokesperson DIG Netra Prasad Karki, however, claimed there is no protocol for deploying security personnel at any party's office, saying security personnel have not been deployed at party offices in the past either. The Home Ministry had issued a notice on security standards for very important and important persons a few days ago. The government has not made any official statement on the withdrawal of security personnel.