Gagan Thapa Says Nepal Is Facing ‘Governance Anarchy’

Dragon Media Correspondent

Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa has said that the country is currently facing a situation of what he described as “governance anarchy.”

Speaking on Friday at a gathering of the party-affiliated Indigenous Nationalities Federation, Thapa alleged that anarchic behavior was being displayed from the level of the prime minister down to lawmakers and ministers of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).

He said lawmakers from the ruling party had reprimanded civil servants, ministers had made provocative statements, and officials holding responsible positions were acting in ways that undermined institutional norms.

“Lawmakers from the ruling party have scolded civil servants, and ministers have made statements that provoke tension. I have never seen anything like this before. What I am seeing now is governance anarchy,” Thapa said.

He also criticized remarks allegedly made by lawmakers and ministers threatening to “break legs,” and questioned the conduct of meetings by the prime minister without the concerned minister and by the finance minister without the governor.

Thapa further alleged that the Prime Minister’s Secretariat had detained individuals in broad daylight and that the head of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had been pressured and compelled to make decisions. These allegations have not been independently verified.

“This is anarchy. This is governance anarchy. The Nepali Congress must play a role in stopping it,” he said.

Thapa also accused the current government of dealing with constitutional matters without sufficient seriousness. He said constitutional amendment was not an issue that could be handled casually or treated like an ordinary political exercise.

“The government wants to change the Constitution. Changes may indeed be necessary. But the government’s understanding of the Constitution could push the country toward a major conflict. We must not allow the country to move in that direction,” Thapa said.

He said he had also cautioned RSP leaders against treating constitutional amendment lightly.

“This is not like playing a children’s game. It is not something that can be handled by gathering a few ‘bros’ and creating noise. It cannot be dealt with casually,” he said.

Thapa stressed that the Nepali Congress must play an effective role in protecting the Constitution, state institutions and standards of governance.