KATHMANDU: A lawmaker from the ruling CPN-UML has demanded the resignation of Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Rajkumar Gupta following the release of an audio recording allegedly linking him to a bribery deal.
Speaking during Monday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, UML MP Kiran Kumar Sah questioned the government’s silence despite widespread public outrage over the leaked audio clip.
“Mr. Speaker, I want to raise a serious question; why is the government silent when Minister Rajkumar Gupta has been exposed negotiating a bribe?” Sah asked. “The entire country has heard the audio, yet the government is pretending not to have heard it. This is an insult to democracy.”
Calling the issue a matter of public trust, Sah demanded that Gupta be immediately dismissed and an impartial investigation be launched into the case.
The leaked audio, which has been circulating widely on social media, allegedly features Minister Gupta and an intermediary discussing a bribe in connection with a land appointment. The controversy has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum, increasing pressure on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to take action.
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