KATHMANDU: Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) chairman Rajendra Lingden, along with lawmakers Buddhiman Tamang and Gyanendra Shahi, was arrested on Sunday following a symbolic protest inside Singha Durbar, the central administrative complex of Nepal’s federal government.

The trio, joined by other RPP lawmakers, had entered Singha Durbar and staged a brief but defiant demonstration against the current political system. They displayed pamphlets with slogans calling for systemic change, the restoration of the monarchy, and a national referendum.

Police swiftly intervened, confiscating the pamphlets and attempting to block the protest. Despite efforts by security personnel to stop them inside the parliamentary party office, the RPP leaders managed to step outside, continuing their protest at the main entrance of Singha Durbar. It was at this point that police detained Lingden, Tamang, and Shahi and escorted them away from the site.

The arrest of the top leadership comes amid RPP’s escalating campaign against Nepal’s republican order. The party has been organizing mass protests, particularly since the March 28 rally at Tinkune, where several leaders were previously detained.

Other RPP members continued protesting outside Singha Durbar following the arrests. The party has vowed to intensify its movement unless its detained leaders are released unconditionally and the government agrees to broader political reform.