Advisor’s Explanation for PM Balen Shah’s Disruptive Exit from Parliament Meeting Deleted Following Criticism

Prime Minister Balen Shah left the special session of Parliament midway after experiencing health issues while reading the policy and program document. His advisor, Asim Shah, issued a clarification citing health problems as the reason for the break but later deleted the post amid growing criticism. President Ramchandra Paudel has criticized the PM’s departure during the policy reading as a breach of parliamentary decorum. The incident occurred on April 28 in Kathmandu.

Asim Shah, political advisor to the Prime Minister, explained that PM Balen Shah had to temporarily step away due to health discomfort during the special parliamentary meeting. On Monday evening, Asim Shah defended the Prime Minister on Facebook, stating that the PM needed to rest momentarily while presenting the policy document and later rejoined the session. “Due to discomfort in his health, the Prime Minister took a short break during the policy presentation. Subsequently, he resumed participation. We inform you that his health condition is stable,” Asim Shah wrote.

However, within minutes, hundreds of criticisms flooded the post leading to its deletion. During the joint session of the Federal Parliament the same day, President Ramchandra Paudel was reading the policy document when Prime Minister Shah abruptly left, drawing widespread criticism for disrespecting the parliamentary process. Despite efforts to justify the behavior on health grounds, the advisory team deleted their social media statement shortly after posting it.

In related developments, the main opposition Congress boycotted the parliamentary State Affairs Committee meeting after Prime Minister Shah’s absence, a move defended by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). MP Hari Dhakal claimed the meeting was never officially convened. However, Congress Parliamentary Leader Bhishmaraj Angdembe framed the boycott as a protest against what he described as the Prime Minister’s irresponsibility. Observers noted that it was unprecedented and disrespectful for the Prime Minister to abandon a session while the President was presenting the government’s policy, especially as this tradition has been maintained for many years.

“I have served Parliament for nearly 40 years, but I have never witnessed such behavior,” said former Secretary of the Parliament Secretariat, Manohar Prasad Bhattarai. “Parliament is a place that demands respect and decorum; without these values, its dignity cannot be preserved.” The Constitution mandates that the President present the government’s policy and program annually in Parliament. The government controls not only the preparation of this document but also the timing and context of the President’s speech. It is the Prime Minister who sets the schedule for when the President will address the joint session. In failing to show appropriate respect to the President during this tradition, the Prime Minister breached parliamentary etiquette. Although the advisory team initially sought to defend Balen Shah, they have since taken a step back from that position.