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Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal has issued a ruling directing Prime Minister Balendra Shah to respond to queries raised by the members of the House of Representatives (HoR).

In the previous meetings, lawmakers from the opposition parties had been demanding the Speaker issue a ruling requiring the Prime Minister to respond to their concerns.

The Speaker’s ruling came during the Monday’s meeting of the lower house in accordance with rule 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60 of the House of Representatives (HoR) Regulations, 2083 BS.

During the Monday’s session, opposition lawmakers again stood from their respective seats in protest.

Following the protest, Speaker Aryal said his serious attention had been drawn to the provision stating that “the first hour of the first week of each month shall be set aside for the purpose of asking questions on important matters directly related to the Prime Minister or his/her area of work, in accordance with the Rule 56 of the HoR Regulations- 2083 BS”.

Bagmati Province Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya resigned from his post on Monday. 

Chief Minister Baniya announced his resignation while addressing the Provincial Assembly meeting today.

Baniya stated that he would go straight to the office of the Province Chief from the meeting to submit his resignation letter.

Sher Bahadur Deuba has stirred a fresh debate over secularism and Hindu statehood after repeatedly saying, “I am a Hindu,” at a recent national conference. Although Deuba did not explicitly call for replacing secularism, his remarks have attracted attention because the conference document also committed to advancing Nepal with Sanatan Dharma as an important part of the country’s national identity.

The remarks are particularly significant amid the continuing split within the Nepali Congress. The Supreme Court in April recognized the Gagan Kumar Thapa-led faction as the official Nepali Congress, effectively ending the party’s three-month legitimacy dispute, while the Deuba camp has continued to challenge the outcome.

The pro-Hindu-state constituency inside the Congress has been growing for years. ApEx has previously reported that hundreds of Congress leaders have backed reviewing the party’s position on secularism. The latest developments could therefore turn Hindu statehood into a more prominent fault line between the Thapa-led leadership and the Deuba camp.

Still, Deuba’s remarks alone do not amount to a formal change in the Nepali Congress position. Nepal’s Constitution defines the country as a secular federal democratic republic, with secularism explicitly linked to religious and cultural freedom, as well as the protection of religions and cultures practiced since ancient times.

Some leaders have briefed Deuba that she should now take a stand in favor of a Hindu state, arguing that she was attacked during last year’s Gen Z movement despite her commitment to secularism.

The debate has gained additional momentum following recent communal violence in southeastern Nepal. The clashes, which began over a dispute involving a Hindu religious event, left at least three people dead and 25 injured, prompting curfews in several towns. Home Minister Sudan Gurung visited the victims’ families and announced financial assistance. There are reports of understandings between the government and Hindu groups regarding opening a formal discussion on Hindu statehood.  Opposition parties suspect that present government could also back up the Hindu agenda.

CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has again rejected calls for his resignation and dismissed demands for immediate leadership change. He has portrayed activities by dissident leaders as anarchic and contrary to party discipline. The dispute follows months of criticism of Oli’s leadership after the UML’s poor performance in the March parliamentary elections. A party review task force led by Vice Chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa concluded that responsibility for the electoral defeat lies with the leadership.

Consumers across Nepal continue to struggle to obtain cooking gas, with long queues reported despite the Nepal Oil Corporation maintaining that supplies are adequate. The shortage intensified after the corporation returned to distributing full 14.2-kg cylinders following months of issuing half-filled cylinders. Long queues have also been reported in various parts of the country.

Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha is facing criticism over the appointment of multiple advisers to his ministry. The criticism centers on the number of political and policy advisers being brought into a ministry that already has a substantial professional bureaucracy. Questions have been raised about the necessity, responsibilities, and cost of maintaining such a large advisory team.

Heavy monsoon rainfall has triggered floods and landslides in several parts of Nepal, causing deaths, injuries, and extensive damage to homes and infrastructure. The scale of the disaster has added pressure on local authorities as roads and transportation links are disrupted and vulnerable settlements face continued risks from landslides and flash floods. 

Kamal Dev Bhattarai 

Editor 

The national conference organized by a faction of the Nepali Congress party ended with a five-point conclusion, including a decision to hold the 15th General Convention of the party.

The three-day conference was organized under the coordination of former Nepali Congress General Secretary Dr Shashank Koirala.  

The conference also concluded with another decision to remain active for the strengthening of nationality and democracy by holding dialogue with national and democratic forces.

It also committed to taking the nation forward with Sanatan Dharma as the national identity, keeping in mind the responsibility of protecting the Hindu, Buddhist, Kirat and Prakrit religions that have been practiced in Nepal since the beginning of time, ensuring religious tolerance, social harmony and the religious freedom of every individual and religious community to practice their own religion.

A point of conclusion also includes working to make necessary amendments to the current constitution as per the people's expectations. 

A committee led by central member NP Saud was also formed to propose necessary amendments in the party statute.

Former Prime Minister and outgoing President Sher Bahadur Deuba, conference coordinator Dr Shashank Koirala and other leaders addressed the closing ceremony of the conference.