KATHMANDU: At a time when the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have intensified efforts to remove Deputy Speaker Indira Ranamagar, she, currently in the US, has contacted Congress leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala on Tuesday.
The phone call came after reports surfaced that Congress and UML had begun collecting signatures for her removal, sparking anger among Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and CPN (Maoist Centre).
Amid speculations that Koirala’s faction did not support the campaign, Ranamagar said she reached out directly to him.
“I called to know what’s happening there. He knows everything about me. My life is like an open book. I have never been one to move around parties,” she told reporters.
She stressed that the hard-earned democracy should not be misused. “Many sacrificed their lives for this democracy, and we must not exploit it,” she said, adding that she had called Koirala out of concern after hearing the reports.
“I made the call myself. We must ask seniors. In democracy, this shouldn’t happen, so I raised my concern with him,” she noted.
What is the controversy about?
The dispute stems from a letter Ranamagar wrote on February 26, 2023, to the US Embassy in Kathmandu, recommending visas for herself and six others to attend an event in New York.
Ranamagar, who runs a foundation caring for children of prisoners and orphans, is widely respected for her social work—RSP members even address her as “Mother.” However, she faced criticism after being accused of using her role to help send youths abroad under questionable circumstances.
The letter, written on her official letterhead, requested visas for Upendra Gautam (her classmate), Sushma Lama, Rajesh Lama Tamang, Sujan Gharti Magar, and Dhan Prasad Gurung, alongside herself.
Although she supported individuals she personally knew, Parliament Secretariat General Secretary Bharat Raj Gautam refused to process the visas, saying it was not permissible. Ranamagar eventually accepted the decision, though some individuals still approached the Secretariat for visas, which were ultimately denied.
The request was linked to the UN Women’s CSW 67 session in New York, held from March 6–17, 2023. Ranamagar has consistently maintained that she did nothing wrong.
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