Nepal MP Hari Dhakal Defends Stance on Renaming Singh Durbar

Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) MP Hari Dhakal has publicly defended his stance on renaming Singh Durbar, a historic building in Kathmandu, after facing criticism for his suggestion.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, MP Dhakal reiterated that the name ‘Singh Durbar’ symbolizes pride and the ruling class, rather than compassion and kindness.

He shared a story about a deer’s deep love for a lion, which he had recently come across on social media, and compared it to the history of exploitation of workers during the construction of Singh Durbar.

‘I was not talking about the change of name that happened this time, but also about the changes that happened in the past,’ Dhakal said, referring to the numerous name changes of various places in the past.

‘If the name was changed then, it could have been changed to something else,’ he added.

Dhakal claimed that many people had not watched his entire video and therefore did not understand his point.

‘I am firm on my argument – Singh Durbar is not a symbol of compassion and kindness,’ he wrote.

‘It is a symbol of violence, pride, and the ruling class,’ Dhakal emphasized.