KATHMANDU: Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak is facing increasing pressure from opposition parties following his alleged involvement in a “visit visa” scandal.
This comes after the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) apprehended Joint Secretary Tirtha Raj Bhattarai, head of the Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport, last Wednesday. The scandal has also reportedly implicated members of Lekhak’s secretariat.
The main opposition, Maoist Centre, held a meeting of its office bearers and concluded that Home Minister Lekhak should resign to pave the way for an independent and impartial investigation.
“Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak must resign to clear the path. This is so that influence and power cannot be used,” stated Maoist Centre spokesperson Agni Prasad Sapkota after the meeting. “Our party has concluded that he must make way for an independent and impartial investigation.” Sapkota further warned that the longer Lekhak delays his resignation, the more the state’s credibility will suffer.
Another opposition party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has already indicated that the upcoming House of Representatives meeting on Tuesday will not proceed normally.
Speaking after a central committee meeting on Sunday, RSP acting spokesperson Manish Jha stated that the next parliamentary session would be anything but ordinary. While the RSP has not yet clarified the specific role its MPs will play on Tuesday, Home Minister Lekhak has stated he will address the questions raised against him regarding the “visit visa” issue in the session.
Adding to the pressure, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has threatened to obstruct parliament, demanding not only Home Minister Lekhak’s resignation but also that of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
During a gathering of leading party workers in Tarebhir, Gokarneshwar, on Sunday, Chief Whip Gyanendra Shahi said the party would support any movement against corruption.
He highlighted that the name of the Prime Minister’s private secretary was mentioned by an individual in custody in connection with the “visit visa” case.
“We will also demand answers about the visit visa case in Tuesday’s parliament. Not just the Home Minister, but also the Prime Minister’s resignation,” Shahi said, adding that the Prime Minister’s private secretary, Rajesh Bajracharya, was allegedly named by a detained individual for demanding Rs 10 million.
Shahi asserted that Prime Minister Oli must respond to these allegations in parliament. The RPP is set to hold a meeting to collectively decide its strategy for Tuesday’s parliamentary session.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is now under intense scrutiny following allegations of financial irregularities involving youth traveling on visit visas through Tribhuvan International Airport.
Home Minister Lekhak had previously remarked during a discussion with party workers at the Nepali Congress Dhanusha party office last Saturday, “I myself will speak something in a couple of days. Therefore, I will not speak much now. There is no reason to worry or panic about this.”
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