Cabinet’s Religious Pilgrimages: Dr. Bhattarai Raises Questions

Former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has expressed apprehension regarding the implications of group visits by members of the Council of Ministers to religious sites.

Accompanied by several cabinet ministers, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ visited the Pashupatinath Temple on Saturday.

During their visit to the Pashupatinath Temple, Prime Minister Dahal was joined by a delegation of ministers, including Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, Foreign Minister NP Saud, Culture and Tourism Minister Sudan Kirati, and Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Shakti Basnet.

Dr. Bhattarai conveyed his view that such collective visits could be interpreted as politically motivated.

In a Facebook post, Dr. Bhattarai expressed, “When an individual visits a religious place alone or with their family, it should not be subject to questioning. It is a personal matter of their faith.”

Dr. Bhattarai further emphasized, “However, when the entire cabinet visits a religious place together, especially repeatedly, it takes on a political dimension, and naturally, questions and concerns arise.”

Contrary to this, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat clarified that the purpose of the visit was solely for observation purposes.

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