The CPN-UML has scheduled two internal meetings on Tuesday following the arrest of its Vice Chair and former Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel on money laundering-related allegations.

The party will hold a parliamentary party meeting at 2 PM, followed by a secretariat meeting at 6 PM, to decide its official response to the development.

Paudel was arrested on Monday evening in Surkhet while attending a party programme. According to officials, he was detained on the direction of the Department of Money Laundering Investigation, over suspected share trading activities and unclear sources of wealth.

The arrest was carried out discreetly, and many party leaders and supporters present at the venue reportedly learned about it only through news reports.

CPN-UML chairman KP Sharma Oli has strongly condemned the arrest, describing it as a “kidnapping-like” operation. Tuesday’s meetings are expected to focus on formulating the party’s official stance and strategy in response to the incident.