NC continues to obstruct House proceeding demanding probe into Home Minister

The main opposition Nepali Congress is insisted on Monday that a parliamentary probe against Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane over his alleged involvement in embezzlement of cooperative funds is the party’s bottom line.

With the Congress sticking to its stance on a parliamentary probe and the government’s argument that the home minister be allowed to table a bill at Tuesday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, parliamentary proceedings are likely to be disrupted.

If the government attempts to forcefully push ahead with the House proceedings on Tuesday and allows Home Minister Lamichhane to table a bill, the Nepali Congress will resort to obstructing the meeting and prevent him from speaking, said Congress leaders.

During a meeting called by Speaker Devraj Ghimire on Monday, Congress leaders underscored that they would bar the home minister from speaking and presenting bills in parliament until a parliamentary probecommittee is set up.

As the Speaker has scheduled a House session for Tuesday, he held meetings with the top leaders of the ruling and opposition parties to find a way out.

However, Lammichhane, has denied the allegation that he was involved in the embezzlement of cooperatives fund. “If the ruling alliance allows the home minister to speak, we will obstruct the House and the government will be responsible for the obstruction,” remarked Congress chief whip Ramesh Lekhak.

Several media outlets also reported that a complaint has been filed with the police against the home minister accusing him of illegally borrowing millions of rupees from a Kaski-based cooperative, which was later declared bankrupt by the government.

The complainants and victims of the cooperatives have demanded action against Lamichhane and his partner of the Kaski-based cooperatives GB Rai, who owned the cooperative but is currently absconding and probably hiding in Malaysia, said the Nepal Police sources.

“Deposits of millions of Nepalis have been misappropriated, with billions of rupees stolen by a handful of people, so we will not agree to anything less than a parliamentary probe into this scam,” Lekhak said.

The ruling parties, however, have rejected the demands presented by the Congress and have stated that the home minister will present a bill at Tuesday’s House meeting.

“A bill to amend the Political Parties Act which should be tabled by the home minister, is pending, we will move ahead with that tomorrow,” said Santosh Pariyar, RSP chief whip.