The Kathmandu Post:
Home Minister Sudan Gurung resigned on Wednesday.
His resignation comes at a time when controversies have surfaced in recent days over his alleged business links with businessman Deepak Bhatta, who is under probe for money laundering offences.
Gurung announced his resignation through social media. “To ensure an impartial investigation into matters related to me and to avoid any conflict of interest while in office or any impact on the process, I have resigned from the post of Home Minister, effective from today,” he wrote on Facebook.
The Home Minister also said he has taken the questions raised at the public level in recent days regarding his investments, including in shares, seriously.
“For me, ethics is greater than position, and there is no greater force than public trust. The ongoing Gen Z movement in the country, which is demanding good governance, transparency and accountability, has also conveyed this message—that public life must be clean and leadership must be accountable. If anyone questions the government formed on the blood and sacrifice of my 46 brothers and sisters, the answer to that is ethics.”
After coming under scrutiny over his alleged business links with Bhatta, he had said he would cooperate with the investigation.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Gurung said there had been “a lot of rumours” and stressed the need to distinguish facts from speculation. “Allegations and truth are not the same thing. Decisions should be based on evidence, not sentiment,” he said, adding that he would “fully abide by every decision made by the party” and cooperate with the investigation.
This is the second ministerial resignation in the current government led by Balendra Shah. Prime Minister Shah on April 9 had sacked then minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Deepak Kumar Sah after the Rastriya Swatantra Party, which he represented, recommended his dismissal for “breach of its code of conduct and discipline.”
Sah was removed following a formal letter from party chair Rabi Lamichhane, based on findings of the party’s central disciplinary commission, which stated that Sah misused his office to continue his wife, Junu Shrestha, as a member of the Health Insurance Board. This position had remained largely inactive for a long time.
