Heads of state and government, ruling and opposition leaders 'keep mum' over Friday blast
KATHMANDU: Twenty-four hours have passed since the IED explosion targeting NCell's head office in Nakkhu shook Lalitpur and eventually the surrounding districts. The Heads of State and Government, leaders of ruling party and those of parties in opposition, however, are yet to issue a statement condemning the attack killing one of the three injured.
Singha Pratap Gurung, 49, died after suffering critical injuries while two others are still receiving treatment.
The Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, and leaders of the parties in opposition at the Federal Parliament have not officially, or otherwise, condemned the incident by the time this report was filed.
Many ministers in the Oli cabinet, advisor to the PM were seen active on social media several times after the incident, but didn't offer any reaction, whatsoever, to the explosion.
Leader of the major opposition party in parliament, Sher Bahadur Deuba, has not forwarded any statement yet (though he appeared at and addressed an event today) . No word has been received from the Nepali Congress Party, or the party spokesperson on the issue.
Even the leaders that are usually quick to respond to almost all the burning issues through their social media accounts have surprisingly 'chosen to keep mum' over the incident, unless they are absolutely clueless about the happening that has made headlines since it occurred.
The only government representative to have addressed the issue is Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa who visited the Nepal Mediciti Hospital this afternoon to take stock of the injured.
Thapa announced afore the media that the government would bear all treatment costs for those injured in the explosion.
Minister Thapa also pledged to provide compensation to the bereaved family of Singha Pratap Gurung who lost his life after suffering serious injuries.
Nobody has taken responsibility of the the IED explosion yet.
However, according to Roshan S Nepal's report published on THT today, a high-level source at Metropolitan Police Office, Kamalpokhari, said that police suspected the explosion might have been carried out by Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal. “It is learnt that the party had sought donation from Ncell sometime ago. We suspect the explosion has been carried out in revenge. We, however, do not know whether Ncell paid the donation or not.”
Meanwhile, as the powerful blast shook Ncell head office in Kathmandu valley Friday night, fire was set to an Ncell tower in Badahare Danda of Pokhara Metropolitan City-27 in Kaski district.
Similar incidents were reported in other areas.
Updated (February 24, 12:00 pm)
- Forty hours have passed. Nepali Congress leader Gagan Kumar Thapa condemned the attacks at 21:09, yesterday on Twitter, 25 hours later.No official statement yet from government, ruling parties, various parties in opposition including the major opposition party Nepali Congress.
- Many politicians that have since spoken/written on multiple topics, however, are conspicuously 'averting' or appearing unaware about the subject- the explosion (a person was killed in which after suffering from critical injuries) and series of arson attacks
- Bibeksheel Sajha Party and Bibeksheel Nepali Dal - the two parties that are not represented in the federal parliament but have representatives in Province 3 Provincial Assembly, were among the first to officially condemn the act, issuing statements yesterday.
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