Municipal Chief threatens own Ward Chair

KATHMANDU: A serious case of political intolerance and alleged misuse of authority has surfaced in Gramathan Rural Municipality of Morang after the rural municipality’s chairperson reportedly threatened a ward chair with death in a public setting.

Chair Namonarayan Majhi of Gramthan is accused of verbally abusing and threatening Ward No. 2 Chairperson Yadav Khatiwada during a public event.

Khatiwada was elected from CPN-UML, while Majhi recently won a by-election representing the CPN (Maoist Centre).

The dispute escalated following a protest on Baisakh 31, in which Khatiwada and other local representatives criticized the freezing of ward-level budget disbursements. In the aftermath, Gyanananda Majhi, a close ally of Chairperson Majhi, also allegedly threatened Khatiwada with physical harm.

The incident occurred at an event held at the Pidarwani Health Post in Gramthan-2, where Chairperson Majhi reportedly insulted and intimidated Khatiwada in the presence of other attendees. “They came with a group and threatened to ‘fix me’ in front of everyone,” Khatiwada alleged.

The CPN-UML Morang chapter has strongly condemned the incident. In an official statement, district chairperson Ajambar Rai called the act “a blatant assault on democratic values and dignity,” and demanded immediate legal action against Chairperson Majhi. The party has also sought urgent security assurance for Khatiwada.

Chair Majhi Denies Threat, Calls It ‘People’s Frustration’ In his defense, Chairperson Majhi dismissed the allegations as exaggerated. “Maybe I said a few things because he wasn’t doing his job properly,” Majhi said, adding, “It wasn’t abuse or a threat — just an outburst of public anger.”