National
DPM Nidhi resigns
Two weeks before the first polling day of the scheduled local level elections, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi resigned on Sunday, voicing dissatisfaction with the move to impeach Chief Justice Sushila Karki.Two weeks before the first polling day of the scheduled local level elections, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi resigned on Sunday, voicing dissatisfaction with the move to impeach Chief Justice Sushila Karki.
Nidhi led the Nepali Congress, the largest party, in the Cabinet of CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Nidhi’s resignation, submitted to Prime Minister Dahal by one of his aides, however, does not express the reason behind his decision to quit. But he promises in the document to continue to work for constitution amendment so as to address the grievances of the Madhes-based parties, and for the scheduled polls.
“I have resigned from the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister effective from today. I remain committed for amendment of the constitution and successful elections,” he tweeted.
Sources close to Nidhi said he had telephoned PM Dahal and NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba to inform them about his decision.
Nidhi is learnt to have expressed his disappointment over Karki’s ouster ahead of a scheduled hearing on a case concerning the appointment of Prakash Aryal as the inspector general of Nepal Police.
The police force is under the command of the home minister.
Nidhi complained that the NC president had not informed him about the plans to file the impeachment motion, a move aimed at blocking a new ruling from the apex court in the IG’s case.
“I was kept in dark while taking such a big decision under my ministry. So I made up my mind to resign on moral ground,” he told reporters.
Both Dahal and Deuba apparently had advised him to continue in his office but Nidhi responded that he had already sent his resignation to the PM.
Nidhi had been dissatisfied ever since DPM Kamal Thapa was given the protocol senior to him while inducting the Rastriya Prajatantra Party to the government after the Madhesi Morcha withdrew its support last month.