The National Janajati Citizens Campaign has demanded the immediate cancellation of the government's decision to appoint singer Aani Chhoing Dolma as vice-chair of the Lumbini Development Trust, saying the appointment was made while a money-laundering case and a citizenship-related investigation involving her remain pending. The demand was made public through a statement issued by the campaign on Monday, and it has drawn a separate objection from a group working to protect Lumbini, turning the Cabinet-level appointment into a fresh point of controversy.
Appointment made through Cabinet decision
The government appointed Aani Chhoing Dolma to the post of vice-chair of the Lumbini Development Trust through a meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Ashoj 30. The appointment was made on the recommendation of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the ministry concerned with the affairs of the Trust.
The Lumbini Development Trust is the government body responsible for the development and management of Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. Leadership appointments to the institution attract close public attention given the site's religious, cultural and international significance, and the vice-chair is a senior position within the Trust's leadership.
News of the appointment quickly drew attention not only to the decision itself but also to the unresolved legal questions surrounding the newly appointed vice-chair. A report published by Nepal Press highlighted that investigations into money laundering and citizenship fraud involving Aani Chhoing Dolma remain outstanding, and raised the question of what will happen to those investigations following her appointment.
Campaign flags pending money-laundering and citizenship cases
In its statement issued on Monday, the National Janajati Citizens Campaign said the appointment was made while a money-laundering case against Aani Chhoing Dolma and an investigation related to her citizenship are still pending. The campaign said that the appointment, carried out in such circumstances, has caused serious concern.
The statement, reported by Ratopati and Nagarik News, demanded that the government immediately cancel the decision to appoint her as vice-chair of the Trust. The campaign tied its demand for cancellation directly to the outstanding cases, making the pending investigations the core of its objection.
Key points raised around the appointment
- The Cabinet appointed Aani Chhoing Dolma as vice-chair of the Lumbini Development Trust on Ashoj 30, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
- A money-laundering case against her remains pending.
- An investigation related to her citizenship is also pending.
- The National Janajati Citizens Campaign has demanded the immediate cancellation of the appointment, while the Lumbini Bachau Abhiyan has also objected.
By linking its demand to the pending cases, the campaign has placed the focus on whether the appointment should have been made at all before those matters were resolved. The government's decision, taken at the Ashoj 30 Cabinet meeting, now stands formally challenged by the campaign's public demand.
Lumbini Bachau Abhiyan accuses government of sidelining local sentiment
The appointment has also drawn objection from the Lumbini Bachau Abhiyan, or the Save Lumbini Campaign. The group accused the government of prioritising financial access over local sentiment and Buddhist philosophy in making the appointment to the Trust.
In the view of the Lumbini Bachau Abhiyan, the government's choice reflected a preference for financial access rather than the feelings of the local community and the philosophy associated with Buddhism, the faith for which Lumbini holds central religious importance as the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. The group's objection adds a second public voice against the appointment, coming from a campaign focused specifically on the protection of Lumbini.
Pressure builds as questions remain unresolved
With the National Janajati Citizens Campaign demanding immediate cancellation and the Lumbini Bachau Abhiyan objecting to the basis of the appointment, the decision now faces public pressure from two separate quarters. The central demand before the government is the cancellation of the appointment made through the Ashoj 30 Cabinet meeting.
At the same time, the unresolved investigations into money laundering and citizenship remain part of the public conversation surrounding the appointment. As the Nepal Press report noted, the question of what will happen to the investigation into money laundering and citizenship fraud has become inseparable from the debate over the appointment itself.
For now, the National Janajati Citizens Campaign's statement stands as a formal demand for the government to reverse its decision. Whether the government reviews or retains the appointment, the controversy has already placed the leadership of the Lumbini Development Trust, and the process by which such appointments are made, under public scrutiny.
