Barshaman Pun, a Member of Parliament from the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), has said that the poor and squatters are facing difficulties living in the capital, Kathmandu, due to the state.

In Friday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, MP Pun also recalled the views previously expressed by Prime Minister Shah. He demanded a response from Prime Minister Balen Shah regarding his stance on the self-immolation of Ganesh Nepali from Mugu. “You are the Prime Minister, you have come with new trust and with a public mandate. Is this (the incident of Ganesh Nepali) a failure of the state? Or is it a sign that the poor, the destitute, and squatters cannot live in the federal capital or anywhere in the country? Is it a sign that they are not allowed to make a living? The government should pay attention to this, and I want an answer,” he said.

He also read out a social media post made by the current Prime Minister and Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Balen Shah, after Prem Acharya of Ilam committed suicide in Baneshwar on 10 Magh 2079. “The incident of Ganesh Nepali has left me stunned. I express my condolences to him. In this context, I would like to briefly quote a status of the honorable Prime Minister from January 26, 2023, which is currently going viral on social media,” Pun said. “One citizen does everything possible for the progress he envisions. One citizen informs everyone he knows or recognizes about his past and future and says he is going to commit suicide. One citizen pours petrol on himself in front of the Parliament building and self-immolates. There may be many reasons and many indications for that self-immolation. But the biggest reason is the state, and the most terrifying indication is the utter failure of the state.”