Prabhu Sah Criticizes Balen Shah Government's Failures in Governance and National Interest

Birgunj. Chairman of the Aam Janata Party (AJP) and former minister Prabhu Sah has stated that the government led by Balendra Shah is gradually becoming a failure. Sah commented that Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and its leader Prime Minister Balen Shah appear helpless despite having the opportunity to hold the reins of power with a two-thirds mandate.

Speaking at an expanded meeting of the party's Madhesh Province held in Birgunj on Saturday, he made these remarks. He noted that the public entrusted RSP with an unprecedented responsibility with a two-thirds majority, and the Nepali people have patiently observed the government's actions, expecting positive outcomes. However, within a short period after the government's formation, disappointment has escalated, he commented.

Sah also accused the current government of failing to leave any positive mark in terms of good governance and integrity. He said, 'There is a saying that thundering clouds do not bring rain. This RSP government initially shouted loudly about good governance and integrity, but where did the matter of establishing good governance disappear?'

He asserted that the current government has completely failed in establishing good governance and integrity, and despite being formed on the foundation of the Janji movement, it has granted impunity to the oppressors and murderers of the Janji movement. He also objected to the claim that the assets of those in public positions would be investigated, stating that it was biased and only targeted those other than the ruling party.

He claimed that the current government has undermined good governance, noting that although it had announced it would eliminate queues for service recipients, queues in government offices have now increased. It had promised to remove contract employees but has become a recruitment center for contract staff itself, and although it vowed to remove middlemen, these bodies have now become dens for cronies. He claimed the current government has made a mockery of good governance.

He lamented that Prime Minister Shah, while taking the oath of office, had included Brahmins and monks and sounded conch shells, but then boycotted Buddha Jayanti and recently ignored Shankaracharya, who visited Nepal from India.

He stated that while Prime Minister Shah's branding of government and public sector entities is commendable, it is a matter of shame that he has presented himself as a brand ambassador for Goldstar, a private brand whose company is owned by a Member of Parliament from his own party. He said that the Prime Minister, who had previously defamed Wai Wai as a Congress noodle during the elections, has now proven to be prejudiced by promoting another private sector product.

Former minister Sah asserted that the current budget has failed to instill any hope in the public and cannot lead the country towards prosperity. He accused the budget of increasing taxes and debt, increasing the budget size while reducing the development budget, not including new infrastructure development plans, completely ignoring the poor and unemployed, failing to eliminate discrimination and inequality, adopting a policy of selling industries instead of establishing new ones, pushing youth abroad instead of bringing them back, and completely ignoring farmers.

He criticized the current budget for fostering fugitive broker capitalists. He accused the current government of exhibiting discriminatory behavior in the distribution of development infrastructure, leaving Madhesh without a stadium.

He also accused the current government of failing to protect national interests. He questioned the government's steps regarding national interests, citing the entry of foreigners into government jobs, granting citizenship by descent to foreigners, weakening Nepal's position by claiming Nepal has encroached on Indian land instead of reclaiming Nepali territory from India, isolating Nepal in global politics, openly allowing Nepali capital to be taken abroad, and discussing handing over Nepal's data to foreigners.

He further accused the current government of dismantling established standards and killing the fundamental values and principles of democracy. He also made a serious allegation that the current government is ruling arbitrarily through force, disregarding established procedures.

He said, 'Instead of running a transparent and accountable government, the Prime Minister is ruling invisibly through a certain group. He does not attend his own party's parliamentary party meetings and boycotted the orientation program for MPs, which does not send a generally good message.'

He criticized the current government for failing in social justice from the outset, accusing it of working against the interests of the poor, helpless, and common people, and instead displacing them. Sah criticized the current government for deeply hurting the self-respect of the homeless, insulting the people in the border areas, failing to provide justice to Dalits by making Madhesi Dalits unrepresented in parliament, and making education and health costly and burdensome by imposing taxes instead of making them free.

He stated that although many had positive expectations and hopes from Balen Shah due to his youth leadership, it is not a good sign that public disappointment has escalated within a short period after the government's formation. He accused the government's current activities of appearing to be formed only to ruin, not to fix, the country.

In a different context, he expressed anger that Birgunj, known as the economic capital of the country, has been neglected and severely ignored by the government, diminishing its past glory.

Sah criticized the current new government, stating that while the Madhesh region was devastated due to past rulers, this government, despite taking votes from Madhesh, has marred Birgunj and caused chaos in the name of bulldozer terror. He accused the current government of completely neglecting Birgunj, which is the economic hub and lifeline of the entire country, and of insulting the entire Madhesh by discriminating in the budget.