KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle has denied claims that he fell asleep while President Ram Chandra Paudel was presenting the government’s policy and program in the Federal Parliament on Monday.
Speaking at a meeting of the Finance Committee at Singha Durbar on Tuesday, Minister Wagle said the viral discussion surrounding the incident was misleading.
“Yesterday, people made it viral saying the finance minister had fallen asleep. So please be aware that what appears to be true may not always reflect reality,” he said.
Wagle explained that he had been checking urgent messages during the parliamentary session and was leaning forward because it would have been inappropriate to openly look at his phone in front of the president.
“Urgent messages were coming in. Since it would not be proper to hold up a mobile phone in front of the president, I was looking at the messages while bending down,” he said.
He also urged people not to rush to serious or far-reaching conclusions based solely on appearances.
The clarification comes after social media users and critics circulated claims that the finance minister appeared to be asleep while the president was reading out the government’s annual policy and program during the joint session of the Federal Parliament on Monday.
During the session at the Parliament building in Singha Durbar, Wagle, who was seated alongside Prime Minister Balendra Shah, was seen in a posture that many interpreted as sleeping, sparking widespread discussion online.
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