KATHMANDU, MAY 26
The Nepali Congress (NC) appears divided into two factions in the wake of growing criticism and concerns about Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak's resignation due to his alleged involvement in the visit visa scam. In contrast, the CPN-UML has backed Lekhak.
On Monday morning, at a meeting of office bearers and former office bearers held at President Sher Bahadur Deuba's residence in Budhanilkantha, a proposal was made to seek clarification from party leaders regarding Minister Lekhak's resignation.
On Monday, party officials met in response to mounting public and internal pressure on Lekhak to resign. However, no decision was reached during the meeting. Instead, following the meeting, it was reported that the party president expressed his belief that the NC leaders who demanded Lekhak's resignation from the Home Minister position should furnish an explanation.
Former NC General Secretary Shashank Koirala, while leaving the meeting, told mediapersons that the president should seek clarification from the leaders who demanded the Home Minister's resignation during the meeting. He stated that the office bearers had raised the demand for clarification from Shekhar Koirala, Sunil Sharma, and Rajendra Bajgain.
"Lekhak has done nothing wrong. It's a deliberate attack on the home minister. He also provided clarification during the meeting. Lekhak will be speaking in the house meeting tomorrow," Koiral told mediapersons.
Earlier, NC lawmaker Rajendra Bajgain wrote to NC Parliamentary Party Leader and party President Sher Bahadur Deuba, urging him to remove two NC ministers from the Cabinet-Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey.
Stating that the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has already initiated an investigation against officials working in the Home Minister's Secretariat, Bajgain said that, according to widely reported news, the Secretariat of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak is said to be involved in human trafficking and immigration abuse.
"My message is unequivocal: ministers who have gravely failed in their responsibilities or who have tarnished the party's image through greed and misconduct must be immediately dismissed," he wrote.
Similarly, Koirala had said that since Lekhak's name has flashed in a corruption scandal involving the Department of Immigration, he should pave the way for an independent probe into the case.
Meanwhile, NC Spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat said the minister had provided a detailed clarification, which the party found satisfactory. The party concluded there was no evidence implicating Lekhak in the case. The meeting also called for a fair investigation and action against those found guilty.
The scandal came to light after the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) questioned TIA Immigration Chief Tirtha Raj Bhattarai on May 21 for allegedly aiding illegal travel. His reported links to ministry officials had sparked speculation about Minister Lekhak's role. However, Mahat said, "The Home Minister is not under investigation."
When asked about Shekhar Koirala's statement, Spokesperson Mahat responded that 'some leaders and friends reacted without getting to the bottom of the matter.'
The ruling party CPN-UML has also defended Minister Lekhak. Speaking to the media shortly after the CPN-UML Secretariat meeting on Sunday, Minister of Communication and Information Technology Prithivi Subba Gurung stated that the arrest of a government official does not justify calls for the minister's resignation.
"Let the investigation continue. Just because Joint Secretary Tirtharaj Bhattarai has been arrested does not mean the Home Minister should resign," Minister Gurung said.
On the other hand, major opposition parties have demanded that Minister Lekhak resign. Agni Sapkota, vice-chairperson and spokesperson for the CPN-MC, stated, "The body concerned has begun an investigation. The meeting concluded that in such a situation, he (Lekhak) should resign and clear the way so that access, influence, and power could not be used."
Another two major opposition parties-the Rastriya Swatantra Party and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party- have also called for the resignation of Home Minister Lekhak.
Furthermore, netizens have launched the #ResignRameshLekhak campaign across multiple social media platforms. Former education minister Suman Shrestha post demanding Minister Lekhak's resignation has been shared numerous times on multiple social media platforms.
"This is not a visit visa case; it is human trafficking! To all of you who send your children to unknown places without any labour rights protection, to foreigners who buy them by setting that 'price,' and to all of you who seek a fortune for yourself instead of stopping such matters-heartfelt condolences-you may not even receive hell!" reads her post.
"The investigation officer claims that this would not be possible without the high-ranking officials. Whose blessing was bestowed upon the Joint Secretary? #HumanTrafficking #VisitVisa #ResignRameshLekhak."
