The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has condemned the arrest of its chairperson, Rabi Lamichhane, calling it a politically motivated move.

In a press statement issued on Friday, the party expressed strong objection to the arrest and claimed that a parliamentary investigation committee had already cleared Lamichhane of any involvement in cooperative fraud.

“We strongly condemn the arrest of our party chairperson, Rabi Lamichhane. The arrest, despite the parliamentary committee confirming no involvement in the cooperative fraud case, is a step driven by political bias,” the statement read.

The party maintained its commitment to the rule of law, asserting that it was prepared to assist in their investigation. However, it also criticised the use of legal loopholes for political vendetta against Lamichhane and the RSP.

“We are always ready to cooperate with the judicial bodies, respecting the rule of law. However, we will not tolerate politically motivated vendetta against our chairperson through legal loopholes,” the statement added.

The RSP further alleged that the arrest was part of a wider scheme to shield those responsible for the embezzlement of billions in cooperative funds while targeting Lamichhane.

“It is evident that arresting our chairperson without any reason or basis is part of a ploy to protect those involved in the misappropriation of Rs87 billion from cooperatives,” the statement claimed.

The party also linked the arrest to larger scandals, accusing political rivals of orchestrating the attack on their movement. “Political parties that have looted billions in cases such as Giribandhu [Tea Estate], the Bhutanese refugee scam, Teramocs, and the wide-body aircraft scandal are now attacking our political movement. We are neither scared nor intimidated,” the statement added.

RSP Acting Spokesperson Manish Jha called on the public to stay vigilant against political conspiracies.

“We urge all Nepali citizens who seek change to remain vigilant against the political conspiracies that have plagued this country for decades,” Jha said.