KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has has come down heavily on Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota accusing the latter of taking the government hostage.

Speaking at an all-party meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Residence in Baluwatar on Saturday, Prime Minister Oli accused Speaker Sapkota of taking the government hostage, barring it from carrying out its day-to-day affairs.

“The parliament barred the government from executing its day-to-day development activities. It did not do what it was supposed to do,” Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani, who left the meeting in the middle, quoted Prime Minister Oli as saying.

Prime Minister Oli said the parliament did not play a constructive role in endorsing the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a foreign aid agency of the United States of America.

Oli, in the meeting, also sought suggestions from the interlocutors on the possible measures to be adopted by the government towards curing the coronavirus pandemic, according to Lohani.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel, Vice President Bimalendra Nidhi, General Secretary Purna Bahadur Khadka, Parliamentary Party Chief Whip Bal Krishna Khand were present in the meeting.

Also present in the meeting included Janata Samajwadi Party Central Council Chairman Mahantha Thakur, leader Laxman Lal Karna, Neal Workers and Peasant Party (NWPP) lawmaker Prem Suwal aside from RPP leader Lohani .

However, JSP Federal Council Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Chairman Upendra Yadav, CPN-UML’s senior leader Madhav Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda did not turn up the meeting.

Similarly, along with Oli, participating in the meeting from the ruling UML were Ishwar Pokharel, Bishnu Poudel and Subas Nembang.