The central committee meeting of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on Saturday announced plans to launch a second phase of protests against what it described as the government’s “authoritarian and autocratic tendencies”.

The central committee meeting described the arrest of party president Rabi Lamichhane as a deliberate attempt by the ruling coalition to politically corner the RSP.

“Although the parliamentary inquiry committee report on page 449 states that there is no documented evidence to implicate Rabi Lamichhane in the transfer of funds from the cooperative organization to Gorkha Media Pvt Ltd, he was still arrested. This arrest clearly indicates the goal of the ruling coalition to corner the RSP politically,” said the statement issued after the meeting.

The RSP called on everyone to support the second phase of the protests.

The party has accused parties that historically champion political freedom of now stifling new ideas and voices. The government’s actions, the party claims, are against democratic values, the constitution and the rule of law.

“The RSP urges the general public to read the dangerous nature of the state correctly,” the party said.

Last month, police arrested Lamichhane to investigate allegations of cooperation fraud and organized crime. He was taken to Pokhara as a case against him was filed at the Kaski District Police Office. Kaski District Court extended his remand on Tuesday.

A case was also registered against Lamichhane at Rupandehi district police office and the district court allowed the police to arrest him for investigation on charges of fraud. He was accused of misappropriating crores of rupees from various cooperatives.