Kathmandu, Oct 27: Ganpatilal Shrestha has declined the ministerial post offered to him after his ministry assignment was changed at the last minute. Shrestha’s name as a new minister was withdrawn just before oath ceremony.  

Shrestha said he was initially promised leadership of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, but was later offered the Ministry of Land Reform instead, which he refused.

He claimed that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal himself had told him on Saturday (October 24) to prepare for the Tourism Ministry, but without prior notice, his portfolio was changed.

In a statement released Sunday evening, Shrestha alleged that the Home Minister informed him that “a powerful force” had intervened against his appointment.

“Later, the Home Minister called me, saying a strong influence was working against me and advised me to meet the Prime Minister. I called the PM’s Secretariat and met him, asking on what grounds my ministry was changed without any notice. I said I didn’t seek the position for personal gain but wanted to serve the country as a citizen who has struggled through many crises.

The PM then said he had already promised the post to someone else. When I asked what happened to the commitment he made to me last night, he gave no answer,” the statement read. People’s News Monitoring Service