KATHMANDU: The meeting of the House of Representatives was disrupted on Tuesday after Deputy Speaker Indira Rana Magar faced opposition backlash over procedural confusion.
Tensions escalated when Rana Magar, who was presiding over the session in the absence of Speaker Devraj Ghimire, attempted to transition from zero hour to a special session.
Nepali Congress MP Ramhari Khatiwada requested time to speak but was denied during the special session, leading to protests from opposition lawmakers.
Khatiwada had sought to counter allegations made by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) regarding Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak’s alleged misuse of the police force. However, opposition lawmakers objected when he was allowed to speak outside the formal agenda, causing uproar in the chamber.
Following critical remarks from Khatiwada against former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, RSP MP Ganesh Parajuli raised a point of order, demanding that Khatiwada’s statement be removed from the record. Similarly, Maoist Center Chief Whip Hitraj Pandey accused the ruling coalition of manipulating parliamentary procedures.
In an attempt to clarify the situation, Deputy Speaker Rana Magar stated that Khatiwada was given time because he had missed his turn earlier. However, both the RSP and Maoist Center rejected her justification and continued their protests.
With the opposition parties refusing to back down, Speaker Devraj Ghimire adjourned the session for 15 minutes.
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