KATHMANDU: Gen-Z campaigner Miraj Dhungana has accused the government of weakening the Nepali Army by deploying it to deal with minor internal security incidents, warning that such actions could erode public trust in the military.
Speaking at a program in Kathmandu on Thursday, Dhungana said the repeated use of the army to respond to small-scale disturbances could have long-term consequences for national security. He argued that law enforcement agencies, rather than the military, should handle such incidents.
Referring to the recent communal violence in Kaptaanganj, Dhungana criticized both the police’s use of live ammunition and the government’s subsequent deployment of the Nepali Army to restore order. He also alleged that the government, which he described as having emerged from the Gen Z movement, had opened fire on unarmed youths.
Dhungana said police should rely on non-lethal crowd-control equipment instead of lethal weapons while managing public unrest. He claimed that most of those killed in the Kaptaanganj violence were young people, adding that although the circumstances differed from the Gen-Z movement, both incidents resulted in youth fatalities caused by state gunfire.
He further said Prime Minister and the Home Minister should take responsibility for the Kaptaanganj incident.
Citing a recent large-scale protest in India, Dhungana claimed that police there had refrained from using live ammunition, contrasting it with what he described as the use of gunfire during relatively small clashes in Nepal.
Dhungana also stressed that Nepal’s ethnic and social diversity requires a more mature approach to conflict management and urged the government to prioritize national sovereignty, territorial integrity and public security in shaping its security strategy.
He additionally called on the government to curb fuel adulteration, reduce petroleum prices and questioned its foreign policy, alleging that anti-China activities were taking place in Nepal.
The statements are allegations and opinions expressed by Dhungana during the public event and have not been independently verified.
