Political parties and civil society, including the ruling Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have condemned the suspicious parking of a vehicle at the gates of Kantipur Publications, Online Khabar.com and Himalaya Television on Monday, blocking the movement of other vehicles. These media outlets had written news about Ganesh Nepali's self-immolation, raising questions about the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Force, the behavior of the traffic police, and the fines. 

It has been revealed that the vehicle parked in front of Kantipur Publications was being driven by RSSW cadres. The ruling party Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has condemned the suspicious and mysterious incident motivated by the intention to terrorize the media. The Federation of Nepali Journalists and the CPN-UML have also issued a statement expressing their protest. 

The driver of the vehicle, Ba12Cha 8545, Ba2Cha 1255 and Ba Province-01 034 Cha 8480, fled after leaving it at the gates of Kantipur Media Group. Apart from the media, the drivers fled, leaving the vehicles stranded in front of Gagan Thapa, the president of the main opposition party Nepali Congress, and Bhatbhateni in Anamnagar, according to the police. The vehicle parked in Kantipur has been revealed to belong to Dhani Ravi Jaiswal. He is a member of the Central Investigation and Archives Department of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

On behalf of the RSSW, General Secretary Bipin Acharya issued a statement saying that free and fearless journalism is the lifeblood of democracy and the party will always be committed to protecting it. 'Such suspicious and mysterious activities carried out with the intention of attacking the environment in which the mass media and media personnel, established as the fourth organ of the state, work fearlessly or putting them under psychological pressure, are a direct violation of democratic values ​​and norms,' the statement said.

'As a democratic, responsible and political party that believes in the rule of law, the RSSW has always stood firmly in favor of complete press freedom, the fundamental right of citizens to be informed, and independent journalism,' the statement said.

Eyewitnesses have said that a person wearing a mask and dark glasses parked the car and fled around 7 am. According to Ramesh Thuyaju, a security guard at Kantipur in Tinkune, the driver of a vehicle bearing registration number Ba Province-01 034 Cha 8480 parked it at Kantipur around 7 am, saying that he had come to meet his brother. ‘He said that he had come to meet his brother in Kantipur, I told him to put it on the side, I can’t keep it here,’ he said. ‘When he refused to put it, he forcibly put the car and fled.’ He said that the person got out and fled while talking to someone on the phone. ‘When the person suddenly started running towards the main road, I followed him,’ he added. ‘After reaching the main road, I returned because the gate should not be left empty.’

It has been revealed that the vehicle parked in front of the Kantipur gate is registered in the name of Pioneer Moto Corp Pvt. Ltd. The name of Sanima Bank is also mentioned in the details of the Department of Transport Management on the vehicle. This vehicle was being driven by Ravi Jaiswal. It has been revealed that the vehicle user, Jaiswal, was nominated to the Central Investigation and Records Department of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) after the integration of the then mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Balendra Shah's group into the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He has said that the vehicle parked in front of Kantipur is his. 'That vehicle is mine, my friend took it yesterday,' he told Kantipur in contact, 'When I called my friend, the switch is off, I cannot come to pick up the vehicle.'

Jaiswal has a machinery business in Chandranigahpur and Garuda of Garuda Municipality-4, Rautahat. He had filed an independent candidacy for the Madhesh Provincial Assembly member in the 2079 general election. However, he was defeated. The police have said that an investigation is ongoing into the owner of the vehicle. 

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has drawn the attention of the Government of Nepal, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the concerned security agencies to investigate this incident and act in accordance with the law. ‘The National Independent Party condemns such and any other steps motivated by the intention of terrorizing the press sector. We draw the serious attention of the Government of Nepal, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the concerned security agencies to ensure the physical and psychological safety of the entire media by conducting an immediate, impartial and truthful investigation into these incidents and to immediately identify and prosecute anyone involved in such suspicious activities,’ the statement said. ‘Appealing to the entire media world to continue to perform its professional duty of truth-based journalism without succumbing to any pressure or intimidation, we express our firm commitment that the RSVP will always stand in favor of the safety of media personnel and media houses and complete press freedom.’

But the police have released the vehicles without any investigation. SSP Suresh Kafle, Chief of the Valley Traffic Police Office, said that after the person related to the vehicle came into contact, the vehicle was released after issuing a fine as per the law on Monday. According to him, a fine ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 has been imposed depending on the situation. "We have fined and removed 14 vehicles parked illegally in other places, including the five vehicles discussed outside," he told Kantipur. Although the purpose for which the vehicles were parked is still under investigation, he said that they have now taken action as per the law.

Due to the parked vehicles, it was difficult for Kantipur Media Group to keep vehicles inside the office for about 5 hours. Journalists could not take their vehicles to report. "Television journalists could not even go to report," said Kantipur Television's news coordinator Ramkrishna Bhandari, "Journalists who were supposed to go to collect news with cameras in the morning got stuck in the office as their vehicles could not get out. It was difficult for my friends to even get out with their motorcycles." 

Around 12:30, Kantipur Publications called a crane to remove the vehicle. The vehicle parked in front of Kantipur, where RSP General Secretary Acharya was, is a RSP cadre. What kind of investigation and action will the party take on this? When asked, "We have issued a press release and asked the government to investigate and take action if anyone has done wrong. The party has condemned those things as wrong, whoever did them," he said. 

He told Kantipur, "We have gone one step ahead of the party and told the government itself, rather than what the party does, the government machinery will do such things more than the party." Himalaya TV and Online Khabar.com Group Editor Umesh Chauhan said that a serious investigation should be conducted into who parked the vehicle at the media house. "But it is clear why this was done, it is clear that this was done to warn that anything can happen if you keep raising questions," he said, "We say that there is a state. But it is strange that the police hesitate for seven hours even when there is a traffic jam on the roads outside." 

Stating that Ganesh Nepali's self-immolation is not limited to traffic rules, he said, "Citizens should follow the rules and regulations, but the state should also give trust to vulnerable citizens. Why couldn't the state trust young people like Prem Acharya yesterday and Ganesh Nepali today? Where did it go wrong? The media has raised questions. The state should be responsive, not reactive, to the questions raised by the media and citizens.'

The vehicle parked in front of the gate of Online News is registered in the name of Sunil Poudel. He has been running an eye clinic called Shankhadol Eye Clinic and Optical House in Gokarneshwor, Kathmandu. The vehicle parked in front of the gate of Himalaya Television is registered in the name of Drive Line Auto Mobile Pvt. Ltd. The vehicle with Bagmati Province BSC number 9575 parked in front of the house of Gagan Thapa, the president of the main opposition party, Nepali Congress, has been found to be registered in the name of Baba Bishwakarma Traders. It is not yet clear in whose name the vehicle parked in Bhatbhateni is registered. 

SP Naresh Subedi of the Traffic Police Office said that five vehicles have been brought to the Traffic Police Office so far and an investigation is underway to find out who the real owners of those vehicles are. He said, "The vehicles have arrived, we are coordinating with the Department of Transport Management to find out who they belong to."

The Federation of Nepali Journalists has protested, saying that vehicles have been parked suspiciously at the gate of the media office, creating obstacles and terror for journalists working there to carry out their media work. A statement issued by General Secretary Ram Prasad Dahal said, "The Federation strongly demands that the relevant bodies immediately remove the obstacles and protect the media workers and the media house." The Federation has called the incident condemnable and mysterious and has drawn the attention of the relevant bodies to immediately investigate and take necessary legal action against the culprits.

The CPN-UML has issued a statement objecting to the vehicles being parked at the main gate of the media. UML Publicity Department Chief Neeraj Acharya issued a statement on Monday, saying that suspicious vehicles have been parked in front of the media house and creating terror. "Journalists and media personnel have been obstructed and terrorized by parking suspicious vehicles at the main gates of various media offices," he said in a statement. "Since this morning, vehicles have been parked at the gates of Kantipur Publications in Tinkune, Online News in New Baneshwor, and Himalaya Television in Madhya Baneshwor, blocking the movement of journalists. This act is a direct attack on democracy and press freedom."