Nepal Opposition, MPs demand resignation of Home Minister over gold smuggling case

Jul 27, 2023

Kathmandu (Nepal), July 27 (ANI): As the investigative agencies have failed to name the main accused in the case of smuggling of a quintal of gold disguised as brakeshoes, the opposition as well as some lawmakers of the ruling coalition have demanded the resignation of Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha. Speaking at parliamentary meeting, the Chief Whip of the main opposition CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist) stood from their seat and wanted their demands to be met. Furthermore, Giri accused the ruling CPN-Maoist Center and former House Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara of being involved in the gold smuggling case and demanded a high-level parliamentary committee probe into the latest smuggling incident. Along with that, Member of Parliament (MP) from the ruling Nepali Congress Sunil Sharma also demanded the resignation of Home Minister Shrestha and Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, claiming they are not fit for the post after the latest scandal of gold smuggling. The latest seizure suggests that the Tribhuvan International Airport continues to be the gateway for large-scale smuggling of gold. The Department of Revenue Investigation by Wednesday has been able to round up about one-and-a-half-dozen people but the person at the top of the string remains anonymous.