KATHMANDU: The government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah has come under criticism after deciding to reappoint Sudan Gurung as Home Minister despite a report by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) identifying him as a key figure in the escalation of last year’s Gen-Z protests.
The controversy has intensified as the government had earlier acted swiftly on the findings of a separate commission investigating the same protests, leading to the arrest of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.
The Gen-Z movement, held on September 8 and 9, 2025, was investigated by a commission headed by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki. Acting on the commission’s report, the newly formed Shah administration arrested Oli and Lekhak a day after assuming office on March 28.
However, both leaders were released following a Supreme Court order after nearly two weeks of investigation. The government has yet to file any formal case against them.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission also conducted an independent investigation into the protests and submitted its report to the government. The report identified Gurung, who is also a lawmaker from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), as one of the individuals whose actions contributed to the deterioration of the situation during the demonstrations.
According to the commission, Gurung was seen leading a crowd of around 20,000 to 25,000 protesters near the Everest Hotel at around noon on the day of the protest.
The report states that after Gurung took charge of the gathering, demonstrators became increasingly aggressive, broke through security barricades and attempted to enter prohibited areas, eventually leading to clashes with security personnel.
“After Gurung assumed leadership of the crowd, protesters became agitated, breached security barriers and attempted to enter restricted zones, resulting in confrontation and violence,” the report said.
The commission also highlighted the presence of a group of 15 to 20 bikers wearing black T-shirts marked with the acronym “TOB” (Tibetan Origin Blood) and carrying similar tattoos on their bodies.
According to the report, the situation became significantly more volatile after the group entered the protest venue.
The NHRC recommended a detailed investigation into the group’s role, calling on authorities to identify the individuals involved, determine their links with protest organizers and establish whether they were operating under the direction of any other actors.
PM signaled reluctance to implement NHRC report
Questions regarding the implementation of the NHRC report surfaced during a parliamentary question-and-answer session on May 31.
Responding to concerns raised by Nepali Congress lawmaker Arjun Narsingh KC, Prime Minister Shah avoided committing to immediate implementation of the commission’s recommendations.
“Not only the Human Rights Commission report, but all reports will be studied and implemented collectively by the government,” Shah told Parliament.
His remarks were widely interpreted as an indication that the government was not prepared to take action solely on the basis of the NHRC findings.
Government probe clears Gurung
Gurung’s return to the Home Ministry comes after a separate government-formed committee cleared him of allegations related to his property disclosures.
The committee, headed by former judge Achyut Prasad Bhandari, concluded that accusations concerning Gurung’s shares and assets could not be substantiated.
Instead, the committee argued that weaknesses in state systems and reporting mechanisms were largely responsible for discrepancies found in his asset declarations.
In its 45-page report, the committee described Gurung’s wealth as legitimate and attributed inconsistencies in his declarations to systemic shortcomings rather than intentional wrongdoing.
One of the most controversial issues involved 89 tolas of gold listed in his property details. The committee accepted Gurung’s claim that the gold was inherited, noting that bank records did not show any transaction suggesting its purchase.
The panel also rejected allegations of a business partnership with businessman Deepak Bhatt, stating that evidence only pointed to a personal acquaintance rather than a commercial relationship.
Similarly, the committee concluded that Rs 5 million reportedly received from abroad during the Gen-Z protests had entered Nepal through formal banking channels and had been spent on personal expenses.
Discrepancies involving land registration values in Dhankuta and differences in property records were also attributed to administrative weaknesses rather than deliberate attempts to conceal assets.
The committee recommended against legal action based on what it described as minor procedural errors and instead urged reforms in land valuation and gold-tracking systems.
The three-member committee was formed by the Cabinet on May 11 and included Financial Comptroller General Shobhakanta Paudel and Deputy Attorney General Achyutmani Neupane as members.
The government’s decision to reinstate Gurung while leaving the Human Rights Commission’s recommendations unimplemented has raised fresh questions about whether different investigation reports are being treated differently depending on the individuals involved.
Comment