The Nepali Congress, Nepal’s main opposition party, has criticized the government’s decision to appoint Dr. Manoj Kumar KC as the new Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Nepal Police, effective from Kartik 18 (BS). Bhishma Raj Angdembe, the parliamentary party leader of the Nepali Congress, made the criticism on Thursday via social media, stating that the government’s focus on changing the IGP comes as the public is suffering from disasters and rising inflation.
The Council of Ministers, led by Prime Minister Balen Shah, decided on Wednesday, Kartik 19 (BS), to appoint Dr. KC and reassign the current IGP, Dan Bahadur Karki, as a special security advisor to the Prime Minister. Karki’s tenure as IGP was reportedly still about one year and five months.
Government spokesperson and Minister for Education and Sports, Sasmit Pokharel, stated that the special security advisor position was created to strengthen the country’s peace and security and to provide necessary security advice to the Prime Minister. However, the legal validity of removing IGP Karki before his term concludes has been questioned, particularly in light of Supreme Court precedents that require clear reasons, proper procedures, and adherence to natural justice when removing officials.
Kabindra Burlakoti, the chief whip of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) parliamentary party, clarified that the appointment was a government decision, not a party one.
Angdembe highlighted the public’s struggles, pointing to a recent disaster where a glacial flood in Langtang National Park on Bhadra 10 (BS) (August 26, 2026) resulted in at least 1,455 deaths and 5,285 missing persons. The flood caused property damage exceeding Rs 277.79 billion (USD 1.8 billion). Nepal is highly vulnerable to various disasters, ranking 11th globally for earthquake risk, 20th for flood and landslide risk, and fourth for climate change vulnerability.
The government has not formally stated the clear reasons for removing IGP Karki, and questions remain regarding the legal validity of assigning him to the special security advisor role. Additionally, current data on inflation in Nepal is not yet available.
Background
- Balen Shah was appointed Nepal's 47th Prime Minister on Chaitra 13 (BS) (March 27, 2026).
- Dan Bahadur Karki was appointed the 33rd Inspector General of Nepal Police by a Council of Ministers decision on Kartik 24 (BS), 2082, and assumed leadership on Kartik 27 (BS) of the same month.
- Supreme Court precedents related to Achyut Krishna Kharel and Hitendra Dev Shakya indicate that clear reasons, proper procedures, and natural justice must be followed when removing officials before their term ends.
What happens next
Dan Bahadur Karki is reportedly preparing to file a writ petition against the government's decision in the Supreme Court. If the court issues an interim order, Karki could return to his position; otherwise, Dr.
