Appointment of Saroj Thapa (Roj Rana) as industry and transportation minister by Lumbini Chief Minister (CM) Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary has been widely criticized.
Thapa, who was arrested on charge of human-trafficking in the past and was accused of thuggery, assumed office on Sunday.
Thapa, who was elected to the provincial assembly from Pyuthan (B) on a Nepali Congress (NC) ticket, was made minister by CM Chaudhary after splitting a ministry with Krishna KC (Namuna) from CPN (Maoist Center) being made the urban development minister.
The anti Sher Bahadur Deuba faction has expressed displeasure with CM Chaudhary for lack of consultation before splitting the ministry and making Thapa the minister.
Thapa was arrested on April 26, 2020 on charge of human-trafficking. Thapa, who also produced Nepali feature films, also operated dance bars in Bag Bazar and Gongabu and a complaint accusing him of forcing girls to dance naked was also lodged when he was in custody on charge of human-trafficking. He stayed in judicial custody for six months then.
He was affiliated to the gang of Dinesh Adhikari (Chari), who was close to CPN-UML, and was attacked with khukuri at New Baneshwore in 2016 allegedly for not sharing the amount he extorted. He later joined the youth wing of NC and then NC.
“Lawmaker Thapa with such controversial background has been made minister under pressure from the leaders from central establishment of NC. CM Chaudhary making Thapa minister ahead of those who have toiled in the party for a long time has also increased displeasure in the party,” an NC leader told Setopati.
Minister Thapa said that he had nothing to comment on criticism against his appointment. He claimed that he was a result-oriented man who delivered results even in films, and added that he would deliver results within three months. “I don’t want to comment about what someone wrote about me or criticism.”
