Less than a month and a half after the formation of a civilian government following the Gen-G movement, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal is under pressure from all sides. The Prime Minister's Secretariat has had to come out in defense after not only traditional political parties but also groups considered leaders of the Gen-G movement started campaigning on social media to remove Aryal.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki's Chief Personal Secretary Adarsh ​​Kumar Shrestha has mentioned the name of the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City in a statement issued on Thursday.

'The attention of the Honorable Prime Minister has been drawn to the misleading reports that have been circulating in various media outlets for the past few days that the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Balendra Shah, has been pressuring the removal of the Honorable Home Minister Aryal,' the statement said. 'The issue of appointing or removing someone as a minister is purely within the jurisdiction of the Honorable Prime Minister. Such a decision cannot be made under pressure or influence from anyone.'

Stating that this government was formed in accordance with the mandate of the movement, the statement also states that Aryal is working as per the responsibilities of the Home Minister. The Prime Minister's Secretariat has come to a point where it is necessary to refute it, which has raised questions about the morale of the Home Minister and the government. 

Mayor Balen is dissatisfied with Home Minister Aryal, a friend of his confirmed. ‘He had not consulted Balen even once on the issue of becoming the Home Minister, and even after he was appointed, nothing happened for several days,’ he said, ‘That’s where the problem started. Even if Balen made him a minister, he has no role in it.’ 

Even before the Gen-G movement, there was talk of Balen starting a party targeting the 2084 BS elections. Balen’s friends, including Kumar Ben, had also discussed bringing Aryal to the leadership of the party. ‘Balen had made it clear that he would not start a party by leading it himself. We tried to put forward Aryal, who has created an image of an advocate who stands up against corruption, as the main face of the party,’ said Balen’s friend, ‘But, the distance has increased after Aryal became the Home Minister without consultation.’ 

Some have claimed that Balen proposed Metropolitan Police Force Chief Raju Pandey or, in terms of inclusiveness, former AIG Meera Chaudhary as the Home Minister. While at the Valley Traffic Police Office, Chaudhary supported Balen in Kathmandu's parking management campaign. Later, the metropolis even honored her. 

The families of the deceased and the injured are demanding that the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and others be held responsible for the repression by the Home Administration on 23 Bhadra. Balen understands that Home Minister Aryal has not been able to move the process forward as per the demands of the injured. He is also raising the demand for the arrest of Oli and Lekhak in his meeting with Prime Minister Karki. 

After facing intense pressure to arrest Oli and Lekhak, Home Minister Aryal had held discussions with the heads of security agencies at Singha Durbar on 20 Asho. However, Nepal Police Chief Chandrakuber Khapung, Armed Police Chief Raju Aryal and others suggested that the government exercise restraint. After that, in the discussion that lasted until midnight in Baluwatar, Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel also suggested that steps be taken only after assessing the possible situation since elections should be held. 

But despite the police complaint, the deceased's family members criticized Home Minister Aryal in a meeting with Prime Minister Karki and ministers for not taking action against Oli and the writer. But Karki and other officials asked them to wait for some time, arguing that the 'bureaucracy was not supportive,' a member of the deceased's family who attended the meeting informed. 

Aryal, on the other hand, has been complaining about how he was presented as a representative of Balen. 'Even before becoming Balen's legal advisor, I had made a separate identity by fighting against Lokman Singh Karki or in other cases, but now they are trying to see me as a representative of Balen,' an official from Baluwatar quoted him as saying, 'I took over the ministry at the request of the Prime Minister and I will not step down unless he wants me to.' The army had started discussions with Gen-G since the night of 24 Bhadra.

The army, which had taken over the 'command' of the security arrangements since 10 pm, had taken the initiative in discussions with the protesting Gen-G. At 11 pm, Gen-G leaders including Yujan Rajbhandari, Raksha Bam, and Purushottam Yadav reached the Nepal Army headquarters at Jangi Adda. That first conversation with Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel lasted until 2 pm.

Then they got up, saying that they would discuss it again the next day. ‘When we were going to sit down again from 8 am, we said that we needed someone to give us legal advice. Once, we even talked to President Ram Chandra Poudel, so we looked for an advocate,’ said a Gen-G leader. ‘At that time, my friends including Raksha Bam mentioned Om Prakash Sir’s name. Since he was speaking clearly in our favor, we all agreed to call him.’

Aryal reached Jangi Adda on 25 Bhadra, and the army also kept the officer of Prad Bivak, who looks after its legal affairs, in the discussion. According to army officials, more than 20 representatives of Gen-G reached on the second day. They started putting forward different agendas. Some said that federalism should be abolished, some demanded a directly elected executive, and some said that they did not seek an alternative to democracy. ‘In that case, he (Aryal) played a good role in explaining to Gen-G what the legal process is,’ said an official who attended the meeting. ‘When Chief Saab first agreed on the agenda and asked them to come and talk, he coordinated among everyone.’ 

In the meeting, he warned that if the movement did not land properly, other parties could criminalize the protesters. ‘When many arguments were coming, after he explained the legal issues, we came to the conclusion that there was no alternative to forming a civilian government,’ said another Gen-G leader. ‘The friends initially took the name of Kathmandu Mayor Balen, but when Balen was not ready, the name of Sushila Karki, who even took to the streets, came up.’ 

Discussions began on who to make the prime minister on ‘Discord’, where youth organized for the Gen-G movement. But even before that, most of the members had agreed to advance Karki in the discussion with Aryal. In the afternoon, it was decided to talk to Karki before announcing that the Gen-G team had agreed on his behalf. Then, Karki was called from Aryal's own mobile phone.

'All my friends have said that you should take the lead to ensure peace and security in the immediate future and bring the country out of the crisis,' Gen-G leaders including Sudhan Gurung had told Karki at the military base. After talking to Aryal, Karki responded positively. The information that everyone was unanimous in making Karki the Prime Minister was conveyed to Chief of Army Staff Sigdel around 9:30 pm on Bhadra 25. 'On Bhadra 26, Chief of Army Staff Sigdel had gone to President Ram Chandra Poudel with Gen-G's proposal,' said an official familiar with the matter. 'After that, the President finally tried to reach an agreement with the political parties.' 

Aryal was present in all the talks held at the President's Office. When Karki, who is also a former Chief Justice, and her husband Durga Subedi were also at Sheetal Niwas, Aryal sat in the meeting as a representative of the entire generation with a message. 

Aryal had strongly supported Karki in his stance of accepting the Prime Ministership only on the condition of dissolving the House of Representatives. That is why, after he was appointed Prime Minister, Karki proposed Aryal to join the Council of Ministers. 'The Prime Minister had tried to bring him in since Aryal had been a representative of the generation in the entire process,' said an official close to Prime Minister Karki, 'but initially he had not given a clear answer on the issue of becoming the Home Minister.' Aryal himself has also said in informal conversations that he only wanted to stay as an advisor at that time. But he says that the Prime Minister trusted him and gave him the responsibility.

UML is also constantly raising questions about Home Minister Aryal. The UML has been raising questions on Home Minister Aryal from a public platform due to fears that the Home Ministry would take steps to arrest the then Prime Minister and party chairman Oli on charges of using force against the Gen-G movement.

UML representatives criticized Home Minister Aryal in the meetings called by Prime Minister Karki on 4 and 12 Kartik. In the meeting held on 4 Kartik in Baluwatar, UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel had said that the then Prime Minister Oli did not have the responsibility to use force against the protesters on 23 Bhadra, so the act of withholding passports and preventing him from leaving the Kathmandu Valley was wrong. The UML had also protested that Home Minister Aryal had taken away the security personnel of Oli and other leaders, adopted double standards in the investigation of the incidents of 23 and 24 Bhadra, and made derogatory statements to the leaders. In the meeting on 12 Kartik, UML leader Mahesh Bartaula had also raised questions about the Home Minister's statement that he did not want violence and bloodshed.

Home Minister Aryal claims to have good relations with all stakeholders. Regarding the UML's question, he said, "My official responsibility is to normalize the current situation. To provide a sense of the rule of law. To maintain peace, security and good governance. Along with this, to hold elections. While doing these things, who is satisfied or not, that is their business."

Representatives of Gen-G and the families of the deceased and injured in the movement are pressuring Oli and the then Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak to be arrested immediately. Home Minister Aryal, on the other hand, has been of the opinion that caution should be exercised as immediate arrests will disrupt the peace and security environment and arrests without investigation will lead to judicial complications. 

'No one except the Prime Minister has contributed to making me a minister' 

The Prime Minister's Secretariat has had to issue a statement saying that your position as Home Minister is secure, who tried to remove you?

No one tried to remove you, but the Prime Minister's Secretariat issued a statement after rumors spread on social media. Things that did not happen have spread. 

The Prime Minister's Secretariat had to issue a statement in defense of the Home Minister, who is responsible for the country's peace and security, right?

After rumors spread widely in the society, it had to be clarified.

Who brought you to the position of Home Minister, and whoever made you is trying to remove you, right?

No one except the Prime Minister appoints the Home Minister or a minister. No one except the Prime Minister has any contribution in this. It is the Prime Minister's prerogative to appoint ministers.

You were the legal advisor to Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah. Now, people close to the mayor are demanding your resignation on social media. Why did this situation come to this?