Mass Protests in Nepal After Govt Sacks Electricity Chief; PM’s Effigy Burned, Clashes Erupt

Protests erupted across Nepal on Tuesday following the dismissal of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Managing Director Kulman Ghising, who was removed from his post on Monday evening. Demonstrators took to the streets, demanding his reinstatement and clashing with police near the parliament in Kathmandu.

Tensions escalated as protesters attempted to breach the restricted area, leading to scuffles with security forces. Later in the evening, the All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary) burned an effigy of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, condemning the government's decision to sack Ghising.

The cabinet meeting at Singha Durbar on Monday evening formally dismissed Ghising and appointed Hitendra Dev Shakya as the new Managing Director of NEA. Shakya, who previously led NEA before being replaced by Ghising, had been engaged in a legal battle over his removal. His case, pending before the Supreme Court for years, remained unresolved despite attending 31 hearings.

Shakya's reappointment comes just six days before his original term was set to expire. Backed by the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML alliance, his return to NEA has sparked widespread criticism, with many alleging that political interests are being prioritized over institutional stability.

Reports suggest that the cabinet had previously attempted to remove Ghising multiple times but faced obstacles. To justify his dismissal, his performance was allegedly rated poorly, despite his track record of transforming Nepal’s electricity sector and eliminating up to 18-hour-long power cuts.

Earlier in March, the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation gave Ghising a zero score in the work performance evaluation for fiscal year 2023-24, despite his own assessment report claiming 98.99% marks based on key performance indicators. Previously, he had received 94.23% and 98.94% scores for fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23, respectively.

Reacting to his dismissal, protesters chanted slogans like "Ujyalo Nepal Zindabad" (Long Live Bright Nepal) and "Adharo Sarkar Murdabad" (Down with the Dark Government).

"Kulman Ghising had about three months left in office, but he was removed through a political coup. With this reactionary move by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, we are back on the streets to protect democracy," said Narayan Sharma, one of the protesters.

The controversy surrounding Ghising’s dismissal has fueled public outrage, with growing concerns that political maneuvering is overriding institutional integrity in Nepal’s energy sector.

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