- Gagan Thapa advocated for open political spaces and internal party democracy during the Nepali Congress’s 15th General Convention at Khula Manch.
- Thapa criticized the Prime Minister’s absence from Parliament, stating that leadership must be open to questioning for a democracy to function genuinely.
- Balendra Shah’s sarcastic social media response prompted a backlash from leaders who defended the right to criticize the government as a democratic necessity.
- The event marked Khula Manch’s return as a central venue for political activity and dissent after nearly a decade-long absence from public life.
Kathmandu, Nepal: A speech by Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa at Khula Manch on Sunday was followed by a sarcastic social media response from Prime Minister Balendra Shah, turning the venue of the Congress’s 15th General Convention into a fresh point of political confrontation.
Opening the convention at Khula Manch, Thapa argued that Nepal needs more open spaces where politicians can be questioned and opposing views can be expressed.
“Parliament is closed, the party is closed, so the country needs Khula Manch,” Thapa said.
He also linked the idea of an open forum to Parliament, political parties and public life, saying members should be able to question their own leaders without facing disciplinary action.
“There should also be a Khula Manch within the party. Members should not lose their membership for questioning leaders,” he said.
Thapa also criticized Prime Minister Shah’s absence from Parliament.
He said Parliament could not be considered genuinely open unless the prime minister regularly appeared before lawmakers and responded to their questions.
“Until the prime minister is respectfully present in Parliament, it cannot be considered open,” Thapa said.
Shah responded later in the day through social media.
“Thank goodness Khula Manch has been improved; the new party has been able to hold a program there and abuse [the government],” Shah wrote.
Shah’s remark prompted responses from leaders of the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN, as well as Gen-Z activist Raksha Bam.
CPN-UML Secretary Mahesh Basnet questioned whether criticism of the government should be described as abuse.
“Is questioning the government abuse or a democratic right?” Basnet asked.
Basnet also referred to the history of Khula Manch and argued that the venue had been developed through the efforts of earlier political forces.
Congress leader Sachin Timalsina also responded to Shah, using Nepal’s democratic history to argue that criticism of those in power is part of the political system created through the country’s democratic struggles.
CPN leader Ram Prasad Sapkota, popularly known as Dipshikha, likewise referred to the history of public institutions and political movements associated with the venue.
Gen-Z activist Raksha Bam took a generational view of the exchange, referring to young people who were injured or killed during recent protests. She argued that the sacrifices of the younger generation had contributed to the political environment in which today’s leaders hold power.
A venue returning to political life
Sunday’s Congress convention was the first major political gathering at Khula Manch in roughly a decade. The venue has historically hosted major political gatherings and speeches by leaders including BP Koirala, Ganesh Man Singh and Girija Prasad Koirala. It was also used during movements against the Panchayat system, the 1990 democratic movement and the 2006 movement against the monarchy.
Thapa used that history directly in his convention speech, saying the return of political activity to Khula Manch should carry a message for the present.
“Khula Manch does not mean that differences disappear. It is a place where differences can be brought together on a common platform,” he said.
The Congress chose Khula Manch for its 15th General Convention after the venue had remained largely unavailable for major political activities for years. More than 7,700 delegates are attending the convention, with the party scheduled to hold its leadership elections on October 7 and 8.
The exchange between Thapa and Shah has kept attention on the venue beyond the Congress convention itself.
For Thapa, Khula Manch was a setting to argue for greater openness inside Parliament and political parties. Shah’s response focused on the criticism directed at his government from the same platform.
The responses from Basnet, Timalsina, Sapkota and Bam added different perspectives on the same point: what political leaders and citizens should be able to say in a public space such as Khula Manch.
After nearly a decade away from the centre of Nepal’s political gatherings, Khula Manch is again hosting political speeches.
This time, the venue itself has become part of the political argument.
