KATHMANDU, MARCH 19

The main opposition party Nepali Congress has demanded formation of an investigation committee from within the parliament itself for impartially looking into the charges of cooperative defraud leveled against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

The Nepali Congress, in the parliament, has been calling for the resignation of the Home Minister.

Responding to the allegations on Lamichhane in the meeting of the House of Representatives today, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' expressed the commitment to take action against him if the investigation proved Lamichhane as the culprit.

According to the PM, appointing Lamichhane as the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister would not constitute a conflict of interest when the investigation on the complaints filed by the victims of the Pokhara-based Surya Darshan Cooperatives has already been concluded.

The NC has expressed its reservation on the Prime Minister's argument that there were no adequate evidences and basis for removing Home Minister Lamichhane from his post.

In the HoR meeting today, Nepali Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak contended that there is enough evidence that Home Minister Lamichhane is directly involved in the cooperatives swindling case, claiming that loans have been found issued illegally by the Cooperative in contravention of the provision in the Cooperative Act disallowing loans to the non-members.

'Honourable Prime Minister said that there are no enough evidences, but we say there are. Let us create an environment for a fair investigation into this case. We call for the formation of an investigation committee in the parliament itself to probe this case,' the NC Chief Whip reiterated.

Referring to the instances in the past in which the government ministers have resigned from their post when questions were raised on their morality, Lekhak demanded that Home Minister Lamichhane too should resign on moral grounds and cooperate in the investigation.