Two days after the government sacked him as the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) executive director, Kulman Ghising challenged the decision in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Ghising filed a writ petition through his representative, advocate Lokmani Pokharel, shortly before the offices closed, according to Achyut Kuinkel, the court spokesperson.

“We will review the case tomorrow and decide whether to register it,” Kuinkel said.

Ghising has named the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, along with the Ministry of Energy, as defendants in the case. He has sought an interim order to annul the government decision and reinstate him immediately.

Ghising said he went to the court after consulting legal experts. “I have filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the government’s decision,” Ghising confirmed to the Post.

A Cabinet meeting on Monday removed Ghising from the position, giving ten different reasons.

Meanwhile, opposition parties disrupted both houses of Parliament on Wednesday, demanding answers from Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Ghising’s dismissal.

The session of the House of Representatives, initially scheduled for 11am, commenced late, and when it did, opposition members immediately resorted to protest. Opposition parties, including the CPN (Maoist Centre), Rastriya Swatantra Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), and CPN (Unified Socialist), condemned the Cabinet decision.

Before obstructing Parliament, the opposition parties, excluding the RPP, had met at the Maoist Centre’s parliamentary party office, and decided to raise the issue of Ghising’s dismissal in both houses.

Following the opposition’s obstruction, House Speaker Devraj Ghimire permitted Maoist lawmaker Shakti Bahadur Basnet to speak on behalf of the opposition parties.

Basnet accused the Oli-led government of serving vested interests of unspecified middlemen by dismissing Ghising.

“The public has high expectations from the current political system but the government appears indifferent to their concerns. It is rather focused on seizing control of state institutions,” Basnet stated. “This government was formed to serve the vested interests of particular groups.”

Basnet alleged that the government orchestrated a sham clarification process to remove Ghising. He also warned the government not to act arrogantly on the basis of its overwhelming majority in Parliament.

“The power of a two-thirds majority has been wielded to humiliate a dedicated public servant,” Basnet said. “The public believes that the move serves the interests of the energy mafia and hinders the recovery of outstanding dues [from industrialists].”

Basnet also criticised the government for removing an official set to retire in four months. Ghising’s term was set to end on August 9.

“Perhaps the government felt it would not even last these four months and chose to remove him prematurely,” Basnet alleged.

On behalf of the opposition, Basnet asked the government to reverse its decision. He demanded the prime minister explain the reasons for Ghising’s dismissal.

Following his remarks, opposition lawmakers resumed their protest, prompting Speaker Devraj Ghimire to adjourn the session for 30 minutes.

As the opposition parties demand the prime minister’s clarification in Parliament for Ghising’s removal, Oli remains defiant.

Speaking at the National Volunteers’ Assembly organised by the National Youth Association Nepal in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Prime Minister Oli accused “some individuals of overhyping the removal of an official”.

“The appointment of another officer in his place is the government’s answer,” Oli said, referring to Hitendra Dev Shakya’s appointment as the power utility chief on Monday. Shakya took the oath of office on Tuesday.

After the adjournment, the House meeting was postponed again, until Thursday.

Following repeated disruptions from opposition parties, the National Assembly has been deferred till Thursday as well.

On Wednesday, demonstrations against the decision to dismiss Ghising were held in various parts of Kathmandu.