Balen Shah to Disregard Laws, Accuses Government and Courts of Becoming Slaves to India

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah has said that the government and courts have become slaves to India.

The remark came after the Patan High Court issued an interim order against the mayor’s decision to prohibit Hindi cinema from being screened in Kathmandu.

In a bold defiance of the court’s ruling, Mayor Balen Shah declared that he would not obey the court or any law pertaining to the sovereignty and independence of Nepal.

“Where there is a question of the sovereignty and independence of the country, I do not respect any law or court. After the film writer said that Nepal was under the control of India, their intention is known,”Mayor Balen Shah wrote on his social media account. For this, government saying it stunt or court allowing the film to run means that the court and the government are understood to be slaves of India. I am prepared to face any punishment for this, but the film will not be allowed to be screened.”

On Thursday, the Patan High Court has granted an interim order on the petition filed by the Nepali Film Association against the decision of the Kathmandu Metropolis to prohibit the screening of Hindi films.

The controversy surrounding the screening of Hindi films in Kathmandu arose when Mayor Balen Shah decided to halt the exhibition of all Indian movies. The mayor had justified his decision by stating that he would not allow Hindi films to be shown until a specific dialogue from the Indian film ‘Adipurush’ was removed. The dialogue in question allegedly refers to Janaki, the mythical princess from the Ramayana, as the daughter of India.

However, both the film’s producer and the Film Censor Board of Nepal have categorically stated that no such dialogue exists in the film. They have assured the authorities that the concerns raised by Mayor Balen Shah are unfounded and based on misinformation.