Kathmandu, June 7

Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota today told the House of Representatives that an investigation would be launched into lawmaker Ganga Satgaunwa’s ‘Bharatiya Cheli (Indian daughter)’ remark against lawmaker Sarita Giri.

The speaker’s ruling came in response to Samajwadi Janata Party-Nepal lawmaker Chandra Chaudhary’s demand that the term ‘Indian daughter’ (used by lawmaker Satgaunwa) was unparliamentary and hence it should be removed from the parliamentary archive.

Chaudhary, however, did not name Satgaunwa in her speech.

Speaker Sapkota asked Chaudhary not to repeat the issue again as he had already ruled that an investigation would be launched into the matter after discussing the issue in the Business Advisory Committee, which was represented by all the parties.

The speaker also reminded the lawmakers of Rule 21 (e) of House of Representatives Regulation that stipulates that lawmakers shall not use any impolite, obscene, derogatory and objectionable language nor shall they deliver speeches against public courtesy or morality, any individual caste, religion and language.

The rule also states that no lawmaker should speak in a manner that undermines or adversely impacts any gender.

Speaker Sapkota said that the House meetings were being organised at a difficult time when coronavirus risks were high as there was urgency to reach conclusions on significant national issues and lawmakers should focus on larger issues rather than directing their ire against any individual.

Nepal Communist Party (NCP) lawmaker Ganga Satgaunwa had, in an oblique reference to JSP-N lawmaker Sarita Giri, told the HoR on June 1 that “Bharatiya cheli (Indian daughter) had started to boss around in the House.

Satgaunwa had also accused India of encroaching Nepal’s land.

What an irony it is that a suggestion has been made telling us to seek the advice of somebody who has encroached upon our land, she had told the House.

JSP-N lawmaker Sarita Giri had earlier told the HoR that mention by the president in the government’s policies and programme that the government would bring a new map depicting Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani questioned Nepal’s foreign policy as the foreign minister had said that the constitution was an obstacle (to reclaim the disputed territory).

Lawmaker Chaudhary said she and some other lawmakers spoke Hindi but that should not be a reason for anybody to call them Indians.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 8, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.