Congress Leader Angdembe Accuses Government of Anarchic Rule

Nepali Congress parliamentary party leader Bhishma Raj Angdembe has accused the government of undermining democratic norms, operating opaquely, and steering the country toward crisis through arbitrary actions.

Speaking at a party provincial constituency convention in Phidim, Panchthar, on Monday, the opposition leader criticised the administration's recent conduct and urged authorities to respect established legal procedures, according to reports across domestic outlets including Onlinekhabar and Annapurna Post.

Angdembe highlighted the recent midnight detention and release of former Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana as evidence of reckless state conduct. As reported by Nagarik News and Lokaantar, Angdembe described the handling of the former judiciary head as "child's play" and demanded the government clarify why Rana was taken into custody overnight. He also condemned authorities for preventing representatives from the National Human Rights Commission from meeting the former chief justice during his detention.

Angdembe argued that while any wrongdoing by Rana should face appropriate legal scrutiny, the state must adhere to statutory procedures rather than executing opaque overnight arrests, Annapurna Post reported.

Turning to law enforcement, Angdembe cautioned that the police force appears to be functioning merely as an uncritical executor of executive orders rather than an independent agency upholding professional integrity. According to Onlinekhabar, he urged officers in uniform to honour their institutional duties, legal obligations, and professional code of ethics instead of bending unquestioningly to political directives.

Despite mounting criticism, Angdembe emphasised that the Nepali Congress prefers to see the current government serve its complete five-year term. He argued that institutional stability remains essential to prevent citizens from losing confidence in the democratic system and political parties, Nagarik News and Lokaantar reported.

On internal party developments, Angdembe claimed that more than 13,000 young leaders, including members of Generation Z, have entered leadership committees across five organisational tiers from village wards to the central apparatus. He described this influx as the foundation of a restructured party that would dispense with factional panels during upcoming contests.

Also addressing the gathering, Nepali Congress central working committee member and lawmaker Narendra Kumar Kerung criticised the government's priorities. According to Annapurna Post, Kerung claimed the administration began its tenure by sending bulldozers against informal squatter communities, generating widespread public disillusionment despite the opposition's willingness to offer constructive cooperation.

The convention in Panchthar will elect 34 central general convention representatives, according to Nepali Congress district secretary Deepak Nepal.