Nepal's Home Minister Sudhan Gurung Resigns Amid Share Transaction Controversy

Nepal's Home Minister Sudhan Gurung resigned from his post on Wednesday after allegations surfaced linking him to share transactions with a controversial businessman currently under investigation for money laundering.

The 38-year-old announced his departure on Facebook, saying the questions raised against him should be investigated, without going into greater detail.

He subsequently submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Balendra Shah.

"I, Sudan Gurung, have been working honestly in the capacity of Minister of Home Affairs since Chaitra 13, 2082," Gurung wrote on Facebook.

"In recent days, I have taken seriously the questions, comments, and public interest raised by citizens on issues, including my share. The Gen Z movement that is rising in the country today, demanding good governance, transparency, and accountability, has also given the same message: public life should be clean, and leadership should be responsible," he said.

Citing ethics as his guiding principle, Gurung wrote, "For me, ethics is greater than position, and there is no greater power than public trust."

"If anyone questions the government that was formed on the basis of the blood and sacrifice of my 46 brothers and sisters, the answer is morality,” he further said.

"Therefore, with the aim of ensuring that there is a fair investigation into matters related to me and that there is no conflict of interest while holding office and that it is not affected in any way, I have resigned from the position of Home Minister, effective today," he added.

How Did Gurung's Arrest Orders Against Former PM Oli Define His Tenure?

Gurung rose to prominence as a leader following the Gen-Z protests of September last year and won from Gorkha in the March 5 elections, entering parliament before being appointed Home Minister.

He had notably ordered the arrest of former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and his home minister Ramesh Lekhak in connection with an investigation into their roles during the crackdown on those very protests.

His resignation comes early in the tenure of Prime Minister Balendra Shah, 35, a rapper-turned-politician whose three-year-old Rastriya Swatantra Party swept to power in last month's parliamentary election on promises of controlling corruption, providing good governance and transparency.

Shah had formed his Cabinet on the very day he assumed office, appointing Gurung as Home Minister at that time.

Shah had previously served three years as mayor of Nepal's capital Kathmandu, where he gained popularity for his reforms.

His government has already seen one earlier ministerial departure. Shah dismissed his labour minister earlier this month after Rastriya Swatantra Party member Dipak Kumar Sah misused "the dignity of his position" to get his wife appointed as a member of the board of directors of the health insurance board.

(With inputs from ANI)