cooperative victims displayed black flags to Ravi in Pokhara
The protesters, carrying black flags and placards, had assembled after learning of Lamichhane’s visit. They were met by a heavy police presence
Samrat Timalsina
Pokhara | Former Home Minister and President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rabi Lamichhane, faced protests from cooperative victims in Pokhara as they waved black flags and chanted slogans against him.
The protest took place while Lamichhane was in Pokhara to address an extended provincial meeting of the RSP's Gandaki Province chapter. Cooperative victims, mostly depositors of the troubled Surya Darshan Cooperative, gathered in front of Galaxy Banquet in Pokhara-17, Birauta, where the meeting was being held.
The protesters, carrying black flags and placards, had assembled after learning of Lamichhane’s visit. They were met by a heavy police presence, who attempted to disperse the crowd. Despite police intervention, the cooperative victims managed to stage their protest, waving black flags and shouting slogans directly in front of Lamichhane.
Some of the slogans included: "Political protection for cooperative fraud, who will protect our savings?", "Down with cooperative scammers!", "Where is Jeevi Rai? Rabi knows!" and "The cooperative's money funded a TV station, which now weighs heavily on the depositors." The protesters were demanding the swift resolution of their financial grievances and the return of their lost savings.
Lamichhane was escorted into the meeting venue by security forces amid the protests. In a sign of heightened security measures, journalists were barred from entering the meeting venue, and the main gate was locked as the meeting proceeded under tight surveillance.
