KATHMANDU: Senior advocate Tikaram Bhattarai has opposed the idea of summoning former King Gyanendra Shah to a parliamentary committee, arguing that such an action would go against established parliamentary norms and values.
Bhattarai shared his views on social media today following rising calls from some lawmakers to summon Shah in connection with the violent incidents allegedly incited by royalist supporters on March 28.
During a parliamentary committee meeting held on Friday—attended by Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak—lawmakers from the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML had suggested that the former monarch be brought before the committee for questioning.
Bhattarai, however, maintained that while discussions and concerns expressed by lawmakers such as Jeevan Pariyar should be respected, summoning a private citizen like Gyanendra Shah sets a problematic precedent.
He outlined four reasons for his position:
1. Citizen Status: As a private citizen, Shah is not subject to direct parliamentary scrutiny. Parliament is accountable to citizens, and not the other way around.
2. Lack of Executive Authority: Parliamentary committees cannot summon individuals who do not hold executive power. Doing so would erode the dignity of the parliamentary system.
3. Government’s Responsibility: It is the government’s responsibility to investigate and act on the former king’s alleged involvement, not the Parliament’s role to directly intervene.
4. Potential Consequences: Summoning Shah could inadvertently enhance his political stature and imply that he still holds influence over state affairs, which could weaken the parliamentary system itself.
Bhattarai concluded that unless there is a violation of parliamentary privilege or grounds for impeachment, Parliament should refrain from calling private citizens—including former monarchs—for direct questioning.
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