KATHMANDU, July 18: Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Balram Adhikari, has rejected any involvement in a recently leaked audio recording that allegedly implicates him in a bribery scheme, calling it a "conspiracy to assassinate his character." Political tensions have escalated in the capital, with leaders from the opposition using the controversy to take aim at Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s leadership.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Minister Adhikari responded to the audio tape, which allegedly features discussions about a bribe of Rs 3.2 million linked to the transfer of a land revenue official in Pokhara. Adhikari categorically denied having knowledge of any of the individuals heard in the recording and asserted that neither his voice nor his involvement is present in the clip.
“This is a clear attempt at character assassination,” he said. “Those who failed to fulfill their personal interests have resorted to such tactics.” According to Adhikari, the individuals in the audio recording tried to pressure him to reverse a government employee's transfer. “When I refused, this audio was made public. The transfer happened months ago in Poush, so the timing of this leak reveals the real intent.”
He also denied any personal acquaintance with Sujan Lama, a name mentioned in the audio. “He once visited my residence claiming he wanted to meet my father, but I’ve never met him in any hotel or discussed any matter with him,” Adhikari added, vowing to accept any punishment if evidence proves his involvement.
Kathmandu Regional Slam welcomes aspiring slam poets
However, criticism has mounted from both within and outside the ruling coalition. Upendra Yadav, Chairperson of Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal, launched a scathing attack on what he termed the "selective morality" of the current leadership. Taking to Facebook, Yadav questioned why Adhikari was being shielded while former Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Rajkumar Gupta, was forced to resign after facing similar allegations.
“Minister Balram Adhikari doesn’t need to resign—as long as ‘Ba’ rules Baluwatar and Chyasal, his caste-group allies can do anything with impunity,” Yadav wrote, in a veiled reference to Prime Minister Oli. “Gupta was made to resign because he’s Madhesi. If he were from the same caste as ‘Ba’, he would still be sitting in office—even after a bigger scandal.”
Yadav accused the Prime Minister of maintaining silence because of Adhikari's caste affiliation and implied that any non-Khas Arya figure—Madhesi, Tharu, Dalit, or Janajati—would have been immediately asked to step down under similar circumstances.
Adding fuel to the fire, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chief Whip Gyanendra Shahi also criticized the Prime Minister for failing to act against ministers embroiled in corruption scandals. “The Prime Minister once said he wouldn’t even look at the faces of corrupt individuals. Did he sit facing the other way during the cabinet meeting?” Shahi wrote on Facebook.
Shahi’s sarcasm was directed at the cabinet’s recent meeting, where Gupta was still present despite his resignation over audio leak allegations. With Adhikari now also implicated, Shahi questioned the government’s integrity, especially in light of Oli’s past rhetoric on zero tolerance for corruption.
Taking another jab, Shahi remarked, “The KP Oli government, which once tried to ban social media, might now consider banning phone calls — because it’s phone recordings that are exposing the rot.”
As the controversy spirals, the scandal has put renewed pressure on the Oli administration to uphold accountability and transparency, amid growing concerns over selective enforcement of standards and caste-based favoritism. With political rivals uniting in condemnation, and public scrutiny intensifying, the government's next steps are likely to determine whether this is a momentary storm — or the beginning of a broader credibility crisis.
