Balen Shah faces protests, parliamentary pushback and party dissent after 150 days
Prime Minister Balendra "Balen" Shah is under mounting pressure from street protests, lawmakers and his own Rastriya Swatantra Party as his early tenure unravels.
Balendra "Balen" Shah, a former rapper who rose to power on a wave of Gen Z activism, now faces a backlash that includes protests at Kathmandu's Maitighar Mandala and calls for his resignation. Lawmakers have highlighted his poor attendance record, prompting speaker Dol Prasad Aryal to summon him for a parliamentary hearing on August 26. The administration's strict customs enforcement on the open India border sparked unrest in border towns, while the self-immolation of 25-year-old ride-share driver Ganesh Nepali intensified criticism of municipal policing and settlement policies.
Communal clashes along the southern border with India and delayed responses have added to the scrutiny, and former Gorkha servicemen in Pokhara continue to demand progress on the Agnipath recruitment issue. Within the Rastriya Swatantra Party, figures such as Jagadish Kharel have publicly questioned Shah's unilateral style, warning that the government's survival depends on preserving institutional dignity as well as the prime minister's.
Why it matters
The mounting unrest threatens the stability of Nepal's new government and could affect regional relations with India.
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