KATHMANDU: The ongoing parliamentary standoff between the Nepali Congress (NC) and the ruling parties continued on Sunday, with no resolution in sight regarding the formation of a parliamentary probe committee to investigate a cooperative scam. NC General Secretary Gagan Thapa insisted that unless the ruling parties agree to include Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane in the committee's mandate, they would obstruct the next House of Representatives (HoR) meeting scheduled for Monday at 11 AM.
Sources revealed that while the ruling parties aimed to form the probe committee without naming Home Minister Lamichhane, who also leads the Rastriya Swatantra Party, the NC objected to this approach. The failure to compromise indicates a potential prolongation of the house obstruction.
Following Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's request, NC had initially permitted Home Minister Lamichhane to address parliament regarding the allegations against him. However, when Speaker Devraj Ghimire denied NC leaders the opportunity to respond, NC General Secretary Gagan Thapa held a separate press conference to articulate the party's stance.
Thapa emphasized that NC would impede the vote of confidence for PM Dahal unless a probe committee, explicitly including Lamichhane and the implicated cooperatives, is established. Furthermore, he warned of parliamentary obstruction if the committee is not formed by the designated meeting time on Monday at 11 AM. Thapa also challenged Minister Lamichhane's allegations during his press conference, urging him to provide evidence and accusing him of behaving more like a TV anchor than a responsible home minister.
