Kathmandu: Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Balendra Shah, has threatened to set fire to Singha Durbar after the traffic police stopped Mrs. Balen’s vehicle. He has even labeled the government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda thieves.

He expressed his anger on social media when a team of Koteshwar traffic police stopped her wife after driving a government vehicle at high speed on a holiday. He wrote on Facebook, “Nothing for today, but if the government stops any vehicle of our metropolitan, Singha Durbar will be set on fire. Remember, you thieves.”

Mayor Balendra Shah has been making unruly and violent statements repeatedly in the past. However, the government has not taken any legal action against him. His supporters are defending him.

On Saturday night, at around 9 PM, a white-plated (Government vehicle) red vehicle coming from Balkumari towards Teku was stopped by the Koteshwar Traffic Police team. This action has drawn criticism on social media. Mayor Shah had sought permission to drive the white-plated vehicle on the holiday day. “The senior police officer had asked for permission to drive the vehicle on the day of the holiday. Permission was not granted,” said DIG Pushparaj Pokharel, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Traffic Police Office. “It was stopped for only 2 to 3 minutes. Nothing else.”

During the check, a traffic policeman reportedly asked the driver why the Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s vehicle was being stopped. The driver allegedly responded, “Madam is inside.” We didn’t ask further questions, he added. The Traffic Police Office has explained that the vehicle was stopped for a brief moment. The source informed that Mayor Shah even called Kathmandu Chief District Officer Jitendra Basnet, questioning why the car was stopped.

Mayor Balendra has expressed a level of lawlessness in his traffic confrontation with the political parties and the government. Such expressions from a person in a position like the mayor, who threatens to set Singha Durbar on fire, have crossed the boundaries of lawlessness. However, this is not the first time he has made such an expression. On Chaitra 25, 2079 (April 7, 2023), Saturday morning, Mayor Balendra Shah of Kathmandu Metropolitan City posted three messages on social media, which had caused a stir.

He had labeled the political leaders as lawless. In his messages, he had used strong words, saying, “The uproar at Singha Durbar will start from today. If we genuinely want to clean the country, we need to dump these leaders in the trash.”

In the messages he had posted, Mayor Shah had targeted political leaders specifically. He had used harsh words, stating, “The uproar at Singha Durbar will start today. If we genuinely want to clean the country, we need to dump these leaders in the trash.”