Agreement reached to hold Kotihom in Pokhara

KATHMANDU: Pokhara Metropolitan City has agreed to allow the Manav Sewa Foundation to organize the Kotihom event. A meeting on Monday decided to relocate the venue and granted approval for the program.

The agreement was reached following discussions among representatives from the metropolitan office, security agencies, the District Administration Office, and the event organizers.

According to Shankar Kharal, senior vice president of the World Hindu Federation, the metropolis has also decided to take ownership of the event.

To resolve disputes over the venue, the executive committee will hold a meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting has decided to form a five-member dispute resolution committee, comprising two members from the organizers, one from the district administration, and two from the metropolitan office.

The event will proceed once the committee designates a suitable location.

Earlier, tensions had escalated over the Kotihom event, prompting supporters to stage a sit-in protest outside the Pokhara Metropolitan Office on Sunday.

Protesters accused the local administration of attempting to block the event at Barahighat.

A clash on March 7 during the groundbreaking ceremony at Barahighat had left 19 people injured, including municipal police and Kotihom supporters.

A writ petition regarding the matter has been filed at the Pokhara High Court. Following an interim order against the metropolitan office, the metropolitan authorities has moved to vacate the order. Monday’s tripartite meeting aimed to find a mutual agreement.

Pokhara Metropolitan City had already filed a petition in the Pokhara High Court on February 24, seeking to halt the event.

The Nepal Manav Sewa Foundation plans to hold the Kotihom event in Pokhara from April 28 to June 9. Various reactions have emerged due to the involvement of controversial religious leader Bijay Bhandari.

Initially, the organizers were dissatisfied with the metropolitan office’s attempt to halt the event despite granting preliminary approval.

However, both parties have now opted for a resolution through consensus.