Middlemen Have Access to the Prime Minister’s Bedroom: Gagan Thapa

Kathmandu: Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa has claimed that middlemen have direct access to the Prime Minister’s bedroom, raising serious concerns about their influence in national leadership and policymaking.

Speaking at an event in Kathmandu on Tuesday, Thapa emphasized the critical distinction between the private sector and middlemen, arguing that the current economic problems are largely due to the undue influence of the latter.

“Our economy isn’t suffering because of the private sector. The real issue is with the middlemen,” Thapa said. “I’m not pointing to any specific Prime Minister, but these middlemen have penetrated the system to the extent that they can reach the Prime Minister’s bedroom. I wasn’t even aware how far they had gone.”

He further noted that discussions around key appointments—such as the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank—used to revolve around merit or political alignment. But now, he lamented, “open debates happen around who the middleman’s candidate is.”

Thapa’s remarks underline the growing concern about corruption and lack of transparency in Nepal’s governance, particularly in appointments and decision-making processes.