Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Sunday withdrew Khagendra Sunar’s nomination following revelations of multiple legal cases and public backlash.

She had earlier forwarded four names to the President’s Office, Sheetal Niwas, for ministerial appointments, but Sunar’s name was removed at the last moment. Ganapatilal Shrestha was also not appointed today.

Only two ministers were appointed today. At a ceremony held at the President’s Office, Sheetal Niwas, President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Dr Sudha Sharma Gautam, minister for health and population, and Bablu Gupta, minister for youth and sports.

Shrestha’s name was reportedly dropped at the last moment after the prime minister assigned him the portfolio of land management, cooperatives and poverty alleviation while he wanted to lead the ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation.

Sunar—nominated for the position of minister for labour, employment, and social security—emerged as a controversial figure. Sunar, who presents himself as a Dalit rights activist and is known for his provocative remarks, faces several legal cases in different courts.

According to records, a contempt of court case against Sunar is sub-judice at the Supreme Court. The case was filed by advocate Manisha Gautam, who accused him of verbally abusing high court judges and vandalising court property. The Supreme Court has issued a show-cause order asking Sunar to clarify his conduct.

Sunar also faces separate criminal charges at the Kavre and Surkhet district courts. The Kavre District Court has issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with an offence under the Electronic Transactions Act.

Similarly, the Surkhet District Court issued another arrest warrant on July 5, 2024, after Sunar was accused of assaulting Dr Sojan Sapkota, chief of Mehelkuna Hospital in Gurvakot Municipality-8, and vandalising the hospital building. Police have yet to arrest him for investigation and prosecution in that case.

In addition to the court cases, Sunar has been criticised for posting obscene and abusive comments on social media, including remarks directed at a female lawyer.

Sunar rose to public attention following the 2020 Rukum West incident in which Nawaraj BK and his friends were killed. After that, he gained notoriety for his controversial statements and confrontations with authorities.

He had warned of setting fire to the Supreme Court if the verdict in the Nabaraj BK case did not meet his expectations and had issued threats against the court if it upheld a ruling by the Surkhet High Court.

Sunar’s repeated use of personal accusations, inflammatory speech, and misleading claims has drawn widespread criticism from legal professionals and rights activists alike.

Despite the ongoing cases against him, his nomination to a ministerial position raised serious concerns about the prime minister’s selection process and the credibility of her latest Cabinet expansion, observers say.

Earlier, the past additional secretary of the Ministry of Health and Population Sangita Kaushal Mishra was picked as a candidate for health minister under the interim government led by Sushila Karki. However, her appointment was halted after the corruption investigation came to light.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, on October 19, filed a corruption case against 15 people, including Mishra. The CIAA filed the case in the Special Court, seeking compensation of Rs140.68 million.