Suspicions grow that vehicle parking ‘terror’ was orchestrated from Singha Durbar

KATHMANDU: Fresh questions have emerged over possible government links to the mysterious parking of vehicles outside media houses, public locations and the residence of Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa, after a series of social media posts and eyewitness accounts surfaced following Monday’s incidents.

Vehicles were left blocking the entrances of several media outlets, public places and Thapa’s residence before the drivers disappeared. By Monday evening, the person who parked a vehicle outside Onlinekhabar was identified as Sujan Poudel, the brother of Sunil Poudel. While the owners of some of the other vehicles have been identified, the identities of those who parked them remain unknown.

The incidents have fueled speculation over whether the coordinated parking was planned from within the government, although no evidence has yet been presented publicly to substantiate such claims.

Eyewitnesses at Thapa’s residence in Ratopul claimed that the individual who parked a vehicle outside the house later left in a Nepal Police van, prompting questions over whether security personnel were involved. Police have not commented on the allegation.

Further speculation followed a Facebook post by Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Central Committee member Madhusudhan Dhakal, who suggested the incidents could have been intended as a symbolic demonstration of the inconvenience caused by illegal parking.

Meanwhile, Troll Nepal, a Facebook page previously managed by Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s chief political adviser Kumar Ben, also posted a sarcastic comment on the controversy, saying media outlets that had criticised authorities for towing illegally parked vehicles in no-parking zones were now issuing statements after similar incidents affected them.

The posts have added to public speculation over whether individuals close to the government were connected to the incidents. However, neither the government nor law enforcement agencies have acknowledged any involvement, and no official investigation has so far established a link between the incidents and government officials.