A group of former Inspectors General of Nepal Police has urged Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to take action against Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung, who is also the government’s spokesperson, over his inappropriate remarks.

In a press release issued on Tuesday by the Former Police Association Chief Forum, the group called on Minister Gurung to retract his statement immediately, apologise to the Nepal Police and the current inspector general and exercise greater caution when commenting on security agencies in the future.

The statement reads, “We request the prime minister to take note of the minister’s insensitive remarks and take necessary action regarding this incident that undermines both serving and former security personnel.”

The association also appealed to the head of the Nepal Police and all security personnel to remain committed to their duties and not be distracted by such comments.

While the Constitution of Nepal guarantees freedom of expression, the association emphasised that this freedom does not justify linguistic anarchy. “Citizens should understand that exercising freedom must not infringe upon the rights of others; this is a core aspect of democracy,” the statement added.

Minister Gurung had made derogatory remarks suggesting that the inspector general of  Nepal Police should be ‘pulled by the tongue’ and accused him of obstructing the police adjustment process.

In response to the controversy, Prime Minister Oli summoned Gurung and issued a warning. Gurung confirmed that the Prime Minister advised him on Monday at Baluwatar to ‘think before speaking’ in the future.