Kathmandu: Call for resignation of Ramesh Lekhak from the post of Home Minister is intensifying in Nepal. Lekhak is the Nepali Congress leader in CPN-UML-Nepali Congress coalition government cabinet headed by K P Sharma Oli.
On Tuesday, opposition parties in parliament took a stand that they will not allow the proceedings of the House of Representatives (HoR) to move forward until Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigns. CPN (Maoist Center) lawmaker Barsha Man Pun, citing the media reports that ordinary citizens who go abroad for work are being fleeced between 5 million to 30 million rupees for visit visas, said that investigation should be conducted into the allegation that the Home Minister himself sent the main accused, Joint Secretary Tirtharaj Bhattarai, at the TIA. “Since the Home Minister’s Secretariat is involved in this and as all the investigating bodies are under the Home Ministry, the Home Minister should resign to facilitate the investigation. He must resign, and the parliamentary proceedings will not be allowed to proceed ahead until the Home Minister resigns,” said Pun.
CPN (Maoist Centre), Rastriya Swatantra Party, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) obstructed the house demanding the resignation of the Home Minister.
The MPs of Rastriya Swatantra Party chanted slogans demanding the resignation of Home Minister. Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker Shishir Khanal demanded the formation of a high-level investigation commission regarding the involvement of Home Minister Lekhak in the ‘Visit Visa’ scam. He mentioned that the opposition would not allow the House to go ahead with its proceedings until a high-level investigation commission is formed in connection with the ‘organized corruption’ in that matter. “At Tribhuvan International Airport, a racket is being run under the guise of visit visas, looting innocent youths and collecting millions illegally. The joint secretary sent by the Home Minister to the TIA seems to have a controversial background. But why was he sent to TIA immigration? The Home Minister has his own interests involved too,” lawmaker Khanal said.
Vernacular dailies in Nepal have reported cases of Nepalis being swindled as much as Rs 50,000 per person for visit visas in a case that reminisces infamous human trafficking scandal, involving political leaders, including those from ruling Nepali Congress, of sending Nepalis to the US by preparing fake documents as the Bhutanese refugees.
Meanwhile, ruling Nepali Congress has strongly defended Minister Lekhak. Nepali Congress office bearers’ meeting on Monday had declared that Lekhak is innocent.
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