Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi resigned on 29 September, five days after a Maoist strike in Dolpo and Lamjung left at least 22 policemen dead. But Joshi went down fighting, blaming the military for sabotaging the government's plans to modernise the police force with semi-automatic weapons and helicopters.

Until new arrangements are made, Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel will look after home affairs in addition to his other portfolio as local development minister.

In a strongly worded pre-departure statement Joshi attacked the Royal Nepal Army for having stood by and watched the massacre of police by rebels. He said he found it hard to explain why the troops did not come to the aid of the beleaguered police garrison. "The army cannot dodge its responsibility in such situations," he added. Joshi also lashed out at members of his own party, and the peace-making committee headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba, saying that the former prime minister appeared to be speaking as if the Maoists and not the government had formed his team. Also on 29 September, the Ministry of Defence-headed by the prime minister himself-issued a statement "clarifying" that the army was an inseparable part of government. The Defence Ministry statement comes as a hint that Joshi's departure could be associated more with his outbursts against the army than the carnage in Dolpo.