Kathmandu: It has been revealed that Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) and his close circle are behind the ‘Resign Om Prakash Aryal’ social media campaign demanding the resignation of Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, who once served as Balen’s legal advisor.

The campaign, active on major social media platforms such as Facebook groups “Men’s Room Reloaded” and “Routine of Nepal Banda (RONB)”, has been encouraging users to make the issue trend. Victor Poudel, owner of RONB, initiated the hashtag movement with the slogan “Let’s make a trend guys.”

Posts within the campaign have used sharp and personal language, calling Aryal a “coward Home Minister” and demanding his immediate resignation, accusing him of being influenced by political figures like KP Sharma Oli.

However, insiders suggest this conflict runs deeper than online criticism—stemming from growing political tension between Mayor Balen and Home Minister Aryal. During Balen’s early tenure as mayor, Aryal had served as a key advisor on administrative and legal matters, but relations reportedly soured after Aryal took over the Home Ministry.

Sources allege that Balen’s team has been uncooperative with ministry decisions and has engaged in disinformation campaigns. Social activist E. E. recently revealed that Balen’s circle had been systematically targeting the Home Minister, sparking heated debate online between supporters and critics of both sides.

During a recent meeting with Prime Minister Sushila Karki, Balen is said to have expressed dissatisfaction with Aryal and demanded his resignation, though government insiders say the Prime Minister rejected the demand and is instead seeking a dialogue-based resolution.

The rift between the former advisor and the mayor has now escalated from social media into federal political space, raising concerns about its potential impact on coordination between the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and the federal Home Ministry.

Observers believe this dispute could soon evolve from personal discord into a broader political development, depending on how the situation unfolds in the coming days.