Gagan Thapa: Government should run on trust, not fear; RSP must take responsibility

Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa has urged the government to govern by winning the people's trust rather than by instilling fear. Speaking at a press conference after a discussion with party office-bearers at the central office in Sanepa on Sunday, he placed five points before the government.

He said the matter would not end simply with the release of journalists arrested after police entered a media house, and demanded accountability for the incident. He claimed police should not enter a newsroom without orders from above.

Thapa said the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party must take responsibility not only for the government's good work but also for its wrongdoings. He argued that an RSP statement alone was not enough when missteps occurred, and that concrete outcomes were needed.

He said the government, which has a five-year mandate, must also respect the mandate given to Congress as the main opposition party. He objected to reports that police detained the Department of Irrigation's director-general and the chief of the Sunkoshi Marine Diversion Project and had them give statements at the Prime Minister's Office.

He said any investigation into an official's error should go only through established agencies and legal process, and that investigations should not be selective. He added that Congress is ready to discuss judicial independence and to help the government revive the sluggish economy.