KATHMANDU: Minister of Agriculture Development Hari Prasad Parajuli’s alleged indecent behaviour with local women on Tuesday in the capital during the National Paddy Day celebration has cost him his job.

As the video of the minister’s alleged indecent behaviour with local women went viral on the social networking sites, he was asked by his party, CPN-UML’s Chairman KP Sharma Oli to resign from the minister’s post.

According to sources, UML’s Deputy Chief of Publicity Department Surya Thapa told Parajuli to do the right thing to prevent damage to his public image following which he tendered his resignation. Prime Minister Sushil Koirala accepted his resignation.

Thapa said what Parajuli did violated the dignity of a public figure and his party could not accept such behaviour. Thapa said if his party decided to send a new agriculture development minister, most probably Balram Banskota would be the new minister, otherwise Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam would hold the agriculture development portfolio as well.

Meanwhile, one of the women who were seen being hugged by Parajuli in the video footage said at a press conference in Kathmandu that the media blew the issue out of proportion. The septuagenarian woman said she was not harassed by the minister and he was only receiving blessings from her. She said media tainted her image by blowing the issue out of proportion.