KATHMANDU: A heated exchange erupted in the House of Representatives on Sunday between Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker DP Aryal and Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada, with both accusing each other of misconduct amid ongoing protests over the visit visa case.
As soon as the House session began, lawmakers from the RSP and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) stood up in protest, reiterating their demand for a high-level investigation into alleged irregularities in the visit visa process.
Speaker Devraj Ghimire then gave floor time to RSP lawmaker DP Aryal, who objected to what he called false accusations made by Nepali Congress lawmaker Khatiwada during a previous session.
Aryal, who acknowledged owning Sumire Tours and Travels, challenged Khatiwada to present evidence proving that someone had left the country on a visit visa through his company and failed to return.
“I am someone who has worked and earned a living honestly in Nepal. I am not a thief,” Aryal said, demanding that Khatiwada’s previous remarks be struck from the parliamentary record, calling them baseless and defamatory.
In response, Congress MP Khatiwada claimed he had not named any individual and used the Nepali proverb, “It’s like cutting the legs of a thief,” implying guilt without direct accusation.
He objected to what he described as attempts to destabilize the parliament by calling for investigations into any organization without proper grounds.
Khatiwada also demanded that Aryal’s comments be removed from the record and called for scrutiny of those who allegedly authorized 209 manpower companies illegally.
Following the clash, Speaker Ghimire urged both lawmakers to speak responsibly and refrain from using unparliamentary language or personally naming each other in debates. He emphasized the need for maintaining decorum within the House.
Subsequently, RSP and RPP lawmakers walked out, continuing their protest over the visa case investigation.
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