KATHMANDU, JULY 5
Opposition parties obstructed proceedings in both Houses of Parliament today over Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's alleged remarks recently at a book launch where he said Indian national Pritam Singh had gone to New Delhi several times seeking to make him the prime minister at least once.
As soon as House proceedings began today in the House of representatives, opposition lawmakers from CPN-UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party rose from their chairs to stall House proceedings following which Speaker Devraj Ghimire gave UML lawmaker Raghuji Panta time to speak.
Panta said the PM's remarks undermined the prestige and dignity of the country and he should step down. He further said Nepalis had to hang their heads in shame due to the PM's remarks.
"Shouldn't we turn to the Nepali people to make somebody the prime minister? Why should anybody go to New Delhi to make somebody the prime minister?" he wondered.
He added that the PM's remarks undermined the dignity and prestige of the country. Stating that patriotic Nepalis, including Bhakti Thapa, took bullets protecting the country's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, he said the PM had attacked the country's independence.
"Is the PM's post above the country's pride, territorial integrity and dignity?" he wondered.
Panta said that although the PM had assured him before his India visit recently that he would do everything to protect and promote Nepal's interest, he failed to raise the eminent persons group's report, which the Indian Prime Minister is yet to receive. He said the PM did not raise the issue of the Treaty of 1950 and Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani.
"Now the PM brags about reaching understanding with India to sell 10,000 MW hydel energy to India, but the fact is India won't buy that energy if it is generated with third country investment," he added. He said the PM had accepted a policy that would give India unilateral control over Nepal's hydro power.
Speaker Ghimire then gave time to CPN-Maoist Centre lawmaker Chhiring Damdul Lama, but when Lama was speaking, opposition lawmakers rose from their chairs and sloganeered, stalling House proceedings. The speaker then postponed the House proceedings for half-an- hour.
In the Upper House too, UML lawmaker Devendra Dahal spoke about the PM's alleged remarks. He said the PM's remarks gave the impression that Nepal's PM was appointed at the behest of India and such a PM could not be accepted. "If he became the PM at the behest of India, he has no right to remain as PM. The PM should immediately step down," the UML lawmaker added. He said UML would continue to obstruct the House until the PM resigned.
While Speaker Ghimire postponed the House meeting till Friday, Chair of National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina postponed the House meeting till 1:01pm tomorrow.
Meanwhile, PM Dahal today said at a programme organised by NCP-MC student union that his remarks were being distorted and the motive behind the obstruction of House proceedings was to scuttle the anti-loan shark bill. "Some people do not like the government's resolve to punish the corrupt and they are therefore stalling House proceedings," he added.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 6, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
