BIRATNAGAR: Senior Nepali Congress leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala has said that Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak should resign on moral grounds following his alleged involvement in the recent “visit visa” scandal.
Speaking to journalists in his hometown Biratnagar on Saturday, Koirala said that since the Immigration Department falls directly under the Home Ministry, the minister must take responsibility.
“The most important thing here is that this issue directly concerns him, as the immigration office is under his ministry,” Koirala said. “He should say, ‘I am clean, but for the sake of moral responsibility, I resign—now go ahead and form an investigation committee.’”
He emphasized that Home Minister Lekhak’s resignation would demonstrate accountability and help uphold public trust. “That would reflect his moral status,” Koirala said.
The controversy escalated after the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) detained Joint Secretary Tirtharaj Bhattarai, head of the Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport, earlier this week. This incident brought Minister Lekhak under scrutiny.
Minister Lekhak had appointed Bhattarai to the post in October 2024 replacing then-chief Suresh Panthi. Bhattarai had a controversial background, and allegations of a visa “setting” racket intensified soon after his appointment.
Sources said that after learning about the CIAA’s impending raid, the Home Ministry attempted to protect Bhattarai by hastily transferring him back to the ministry on Tuesday evening. However, before the transfer could be completed, the CIAA took him into custody, linking Minister Lekhak to the scandal.
Koirala asserted that, for the sake of transparency and the reputation of both the party and the government, Lekhak should step down and allow an independent investigation to proceed.
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