The CPN-UML affiliated student wing All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) on Tuesday protested against the government’s decision to amend the National Criminal Procedure (Code) Act, 2017 through an ordinance.

Student leaders protested in front of Tri Chandra College in Kathmandu, chanting slogans against the government and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

A Cabinet meeting on Sunday decided to issue such an ordinance to give amnesty, particularly to Resham Chaudhary, who is serving a life term in connection to the Tikapur carnage of August 2015. The Kailali district court in March 2019 convicted Chaudhary of masterminding the incident in which eight people including a toddler were killed. The Dipayal High court in December 2020 upheld the district court’s decision.

The decision of the Deuba-led government has come under fire from several quarters including his party Nepali Congress.

Both the general secretaries of Nepali Congress Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma and leader Pradip Poudel have objected to the decision of the government to issue an ordinance to revise the criminal code clearing legal hurdles to grant amnesty to anyone convicted of heinous crimes.

The ordinance is currently under review at the Office of the President. The ordinance will become law after President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s authentication and will clear the way for the government to grant amnesty to those convicted of heinous crimes doing jail terms.