KATHMANDU: Prime Minister (PM) Balendra Shah has urged leaders of Madhesi-centric parties not to view him or his government as anti-federalist, reaffirming his commitment to strengthening Nepal’s federal system.
Speaking during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office on Friday, where leaders discussed the recent Sunsari incident and other issues, Shah emphasized that his government remains committed to federalism.
During the discussion, Madhesi leaders raised concerns over the provinces’ limited authority, arguing that the lack of stronger provincial institutions and provincial police had made it difficult to effectively respond to such incidents. In response, the Prime Minister reiterated his support for federalism and the strengthening of provincial governments.
According to Rastriya Mukti Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato, the Prime Minister reminded the leaders of his commitment to implementing federalism.
“Don’t even dream of calling me anti-federalist. We want to strengthen the provinces. We have only talked about improving the existing structures,” Mahato quoted the Prime Minister as saying. “Our party is not anti-federalist. We are committed to strengthening federalism.”
Mahato said the Prime Minister also assured the leaders that there would be no threat to federalism under his leadership. During the meeting, Shah pledged to honor all agreements reached so far and to take measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
Janmat Party Chairman CK Raut said the discussion also focused on strengthening the provinces.
“We are not trying to make the government fail. We want the government to succeed and avoid any crisis,” Raut said after the meeting. “We emphasized that federalism must be strengthened. If provincial police had been in place, this incident might not have happened, as they would better understand the local language and context.”
Raut added that he also urged the government to create greater opportunities for Madhesis to join the Nepali Army in large numbers.
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