The central committee meeting of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on Saturday announced plans to initiate a second phase of protests, against what it describes as the government’s “authoritarian and autocratic tendencies.”

The central committee meeting described the arrest of party chairperson Rabi Lamichhane as a deliberate attempt by the ruling coalition to politically corner the RSP.

“Although the parliamentary investigation committee’s report on page 449 states there is no documented evidence implicating Rabi Lamichhane in the transfer of funds from the cooperative organisation to Gorkha Media Pvt Ltd, he was still arrested. This arrest clearly indicates the ruling coalition’s objective to politically corner the RSP,” reads the statement issued after the meeting.

The RSP has called one and all to support its second phase of the protests.

The party accused parties historically advocating for political freedom of now stifling new ideas and voices. The government’s actions, the party claims, are against the democratic values, constitution, and rule of law.

“The RSP urges the general public to read the state’s dangerous character properly,” the party stated.

Last month, police arrested Lamichhane to investigate charges of cooperative fraud and organised crime. He was taken to Pokhara as a case against him was filed at the Kaski district police office. The Kaski district court extended his remand on Tuesday.

Also, a case has been filed against Lamichhane at the Rupandehi district police office and the court in the district has also allowed the police to arrest him for the investigation on charges of fraud. He has been accused of misusing millions of rupees from various cooperatives.