KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) has accused Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli of being the “leader of corrupts.”

Shah explained that he did not attend the main ceremony committee meeting for Republic Day because the Prime Minister and others were trying to protect corrupt individuals.

On Monday, Shah wrote on Facebook: “In a country where the Mayor of the capital city says he will stop corruption, and all political parties unite to protect the corrupt, should I attend the program led by the leader of such corruption? Sorry, KP Oli, I don’t support your corrupt system.”

In response to Shah’s absence, Prime Minister Oli reportedly instructed officials not to invite Mayor Shah to future meetings or include his name in the main ceremony committee.

According to sources close to Shah, his comments were in reaction to this directive. During a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Singha Durbar on Monday, Prime Minister Oli expressed dissatisfaction with Mayor Shah’s repeated absence from official programs.

He directed the Ministry of Home Affairs and other relevant bodies not to invite Shah or include his name in future programs.