ITAHARI: Ministers of Koshi Province Government have repeatedly been embroiled in controversies. However, instead of taking disciplinary action or issuing warnings, the ruling CPN-UML has used its political clout to shield them.
The official vehicle of Koshi Province’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning, Ram Bahadur Rana Magar, hit an 11-year-old girl while she was crossing the road in Lalitpur-28 on Saturday. The government car struck the girl on a zebra crossing in front of Harisiddhi Secondary School. Witnesses say the vehicle sped away without stopping to rescue the injured child.
The incident occurred while Magar was on his way to attend the UML’s statute convention. As soon as the girl fell to the ground, the car fled, fueling outrage across the country.
Following the accident, Prime Minister and UML Chair KP Sharma Oli defended Minister Magar instead of taking action against the driver. Oli downplayed it as an accident, claiming political rivals were trying to disrupt the party’s convention.
“It was a minor accident where a car brushed against a child. The party will cover all treatment costs. Such unfortunate incidents sometimes happen, but it is fate,” Oli said, insisting there was no serious damage and accusing critics of politicizing the matter.
Magar, who is also UML’s district in-charge for Ilam and a close ally of Oli, has been repeatedly appointed minister despite controversies. Calls for his resignation are growing louder after the incident.
This is not the first case of UML protecting tainted ministers. In the past, the party also shielded then-Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Lilaballav Adhikari, who was linked to a human trafficking case.
Adhikari traveled to Japan in November 2024 without Cabinet approval to attend a program organized by the Tokyo Art Council. Investigations later revealed he had facilitated the illegal travel of three Nepalis, each of whom paid over 1 million rupees, to accompany him.
Adhikari was forced to resign and was arrested in Biratnagar in November last year, but the case was dropped after three weeks of investigation.
Although, police recommended prosecuting Adhikari under the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act and the Penal Code, the Office of the Attorney General decided not to file charges. While Adhikari walked free, the three victims who lost more than Rs 3.1 million are still facing legal cases.
Observers say whether it is the case of a minister’s vehicle running over a child or a minister’s involvement in human trafficking, UML’s leadership has consistently protected the accused, dismissing serious incidents as “fate” or “political conspiracy.” They say this not only undermines accountability but also shows that UML prioritizes party power over the rule of law.
