Kathmandu, March 15

Padam Kunwar, who made headlines for slapping Co-chair of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, seven years ago, was arrested from the premises of the federal Parliament in Baneshwar last evening.

Police said he was arrested by on-duty security personnel from Gate No 2, on the western side of the Parliament building.

Kunwar had entered the building by giving slip to security personnel. Right after his arrest Kunwar had said that he entered the building to use its toilet. Later he told the security personnel that he had entered the Parliament building premises to meet lawmakers he knew.

DSP Durga Raj Regmi, chief of Metropolitan Police Circle, Baneshwar, said Kunwar was involved in a dispute with the security personnel arguing that his arrest was unfair as he was just trying to see the leaders elected by people. He had a ‘brief scuffle’ with security personnel following his arrest, according to DSP Regmi.

Police suspect that he might have entered the parliament building without taking permission from the authorities for other reasons. “We will seek few days of Kunwar’s police custody under the charge of misconduct and try to find out if he had any ulterior motive.” Police suspected that Kunwar could have link with the outlawed Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist party of Nepal.

Kunwar on the second week of November, 2012 had slapped Dahal, the then chairman of the CPN-Maoist Centre during the party’s annual tea ceremony in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu.