From Hindi movie ban to Greater Nepal map: Is Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah's stance anti-India?

Amid protests that have been burning down the Himalayan country of Nepal, the name Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah has been echoing. He is seen as the leader of the new Nepal and one who enjoys the support of the youth both for his politics and music alike. But his name has also been marred by a couple of controversies that were looked at as anti-India. Though these may be restricted to particular incidents, but they do pop up on his mention. Shah has received his degree in engineering from the southern Indian state of Karnataka from Visvesvaraya Technological University in Belgaum.

Here are the controversies linked with Balendra Shah.

Ban on Indian movies in Nepal

The Kathmandu mayor stirred controversy in 2023 during the release of the movie Adipurush, which was based on the epic Ramayana. In the movie, Sita is referred to as the daughter of India and that didn’t go down well with Shah. This is contrary to the Nepalese belief, as her birthplace Janakpuri, now located in modern-day Nepal. He gave the makers an ultimatum to remove the dialogue and when his demands were not met, all Indian cinema were banned in the country. The move was later reversed as the Patan High Court termed the ban illegal.

Release of the Greater Nepal map

Shah released a map which included parts of India, including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Darjeeling and Siliguri. This was his response to the Akhand Bharat map installed in the new parliament building in New Delhi. Nepal top brass called in impractical and said a mayor could take calls only on the city in his jurisdiction.