KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker Krishna Kumar Karki has suddenly become a subject of widespread public attention and debate following a media report published by an online edition of a weekly publication.
The report published by Janastha Weekly’s online version has made allegations involving a Nigerian national, which has triggered political and public discussion surrounding the Morang-2 lawmaker.
Following the publication of the report, Karki was notably absent from Monday’s parliamentary session, further fueling speculation and discussion.
During Monday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, members of the Shram Sanskriti Party staged a protest inside Parliament for the first time, holding placards and surrounding the rostrum.
The protest, led by party chair Harka Sampang, prompted reactions in the House, with the Speaker issuing a veiled warning of possible disciplinary action.
Amid the protest, the House proceeded with the urgent time segment. Earlier, Kripa Ram Rana of the CPN-UML had raised issues related to governance and cited incidents from Kanchanpur.
When Karki’s turn came to speak during the urgent time, the Speaker repeatedly called his name from the rostrum. However, the lawmaker was not present in the chamber.
The Speaker called his name three times, but he did not respond, after which the next lawmaker proceeded to speak.
Karki, elected from Morang-2, had secured victory in the most recent parliamentary election with 40,924 votes, defeating CPN-UML candidate Dilip Kumar Bagde and Nepali Congress leader Dr. Minendra Rijal.
However, his candidacy had previously drawn controversy due to past allegations linked to vandalism during earlier political unrest, which had also been reported in media outlets and social platforms.
Reports have further claimed that he had shared social media content related to incidents of arson targeting public property during the Gen-Z movement, though these claims remain part of ongoing public debate and political discussion.
Karki had earlier been working abroad before returning to Nepal shortly before the election period. His political trajectory, from a returnee migrant worker to a federal lawmaker, has been widely discussed in recent months.
The latest controversy has once again placed him at the center of political scrutiny, with further reactions expected in the coming days from his party and parliamentary stakeholders.
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