The government is trying to force Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) mayor Balen Shah to resign by not cooperating with him, according to his secretary.
Shah wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday that attempts were being made to force him to resign his post.
Kumar Byanjankar, a member of Shah’s secretariat, said the central government is trying to force Shah to resign as mayor by not cooperating with him.
According to Byanjankar, Shah has been trying for the last 20-25 days to work together with the Nepalese government on 4-5 projects, but the government has not shown any interest.
“We had sought security for the mayor with the Ministry of the Interior. There has been no response to that so far,” Byanjankar said. “He also tried to speak to the prime minister, but there is no response.”
“The prime minister himself is the home minister today. He does not respond to any calls or messages, ”he said. “He does not give the Interior Minister authority to work. The local government seeks help from the central government, but when the central government doesn’t help, then it is telling them not to work and forcing them to resign.”
Byanjankar said Shah’s Facebook post on Saturday was written in anger that he was not provided with security despite his request.
Shah had requested personal security officers (PSOs) at the District Administration Office on January 13 citing increased security threats.
Kathmandu District Director (CDO) Ghanashyam Upadhyaya had told Setopati that the office had forwarded the application to the Home Ministry. The Security and Coordination Division of the Ministry of Interior will study the request and send security personnel if deemed necessary after investigation, Upadhyaya said.
Municipal police are currently deployed for the security of Mayor Shah.
A complaint was filed against six people, five men and one woman, who threw stones at the municipal police and threatened Shah with death when the Thapathali squatter settlement was being evacuated on 28 November 2022.
Byanjankar said those people have not been arrested despite filing a complaint with the police.
