Nepali Congress vows to disrupt parliament until probe into fraud allegations involving Home Minister

Kathmandu [Nepal], May 10 : Nepali Congress, the largest opposition in the Nepal parliament, has vowed to disrupt the budget session of the house until the formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate cooperative frauds involving Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.
Opposition lawmaker Gagan Kumar Thapa, addressing the first round of meetings on Friday, stated that the opposition would resort to protest until a parliamentary committee is formed to investigate cooperative fraud involving Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.
Thapa alleged that there is enough evidence against Deputy Prime Minister Lamichhane, adding that he misused the Office of the Attorney General to protect himself from investigation.
"Until and unless the parliamentary investigation committee is formed, proceedings of the parliament will not advance. We won't be responsible for it; the Nepali Congress is not liable for the disruption of the house session; the honourable Prime Minister and his cabinet's work don't weigh our trust. There has been interference with the state mechanism and authorities, used as a washing machine but the stains will remain there despite the attempts, only the committee can make it crystal clear. Till the time the committee is formed, we (Nepali Congress) are not to be blamed," Thapa said.
He further said that they are flexible in overseeing the budget, government plans, and policies that lie forward and had discussed it in all sorts of meetings searching for consensus to form the committee.
"It would be led by you (ruling parties), don't need to resign immediately, but it was not accepted. The government is determined to find a cause with the opposition and impair the environment, all these obstacles are created by the government. From now onwards the proceedings of the house, Nepali Congress never will stand with the government until and unless the parliamentary investigation committee is formed," Thapa said.
Soon after the conclusion of Thapa's address, lawmakers from the opposition picketed the well of the parliament forcing house speaker Devraj Ghimire to adjourn the first round of meeting by 15 minutes.
The first round of meetings which commenced after being delayed by about almost two hours on Friday than the previously announced 2 PM (NST), was followed by another meeting.
The second round of meeting was called for 6 PM (NST) where the opposition resorted to protest as soon as the national anthem ended.
Later, the opposition lawmakers again resorted to sloganeering leading the house meeting to adjourn till Tuesday.
The opposition has been demanding the parliamentary panel investigate the minister's involvement in the scams since the formation of the current ruling alliance.
The winter session of the house also was marred by protests by opposition which was prorogued since mid-April and a new session has been called since Friday.
Earlier on Tuesday, the ruling alliance had presented forward a proposal to form a panel with broad authority to look into the overall problems of the cooperative sector.
Before the national budget is presented, both the Houses of the federal parliament must endorse the government's policies and programs after deliberations.
The President is scheduled to present the policies and programs in the joint sessions of both Houses on Tuesday.
Home Minister Lamichhane has been accused of fraud in a cooperative duping millions of rupees of savers conspiring with others. Lamichhane has been denying the allegation stating he was unaware of it but evidence of his involvement in the fraud has come forward with the investigation continuing over.
Lamichhane had earlier worked with GB Rai, one of the conspirators in the fraud of millions of rupees before he entered politics in the last election, who as of now has gone underground with police widening the search for him.
An investigative report conducted by Pokhara Metropolis over the alleged fraud in the cooperative has just been completed this week and submitted to the Police where hundreds of applications naming Lamichhane as one of those involved in fraud have been filed.
Home Minister Lamichhane has been accused of misusing his authority to transfer top-positioned police personnel who have been investigating the case. Along with this, he has been blamed for misuse of authority by coercing and forcing the Office of the Attorney General to give him a clean chit on the issue of cooperative fraud.