Janamat Party demands Speaker Ghimire's resignation

Kathmandu, December 2 — The ruling party, Janamat Party, has demanded the resignation of Speaker Devraj Ghimire, alleging that he did not take action against MP Goma Labh Sapkota due to his familial ties with her.

Party spokesperson Sharad Singh Yadav issued a statement on Monday, claiming that the party had decided to expel Sapkota from the party and remove her from her position as an MP. He accused Ghimire of shielding her as she was planning to join the CPN (UML).

The statement reads, "Just because someone is a relative of the Speaker or committed to joining the Speaker's former party, CPN (UML), the Speaker should not protect a member who has already been expelled through a legitimate party process. The Speaker must immediately resign for taking unconstitutional steps to protect her."

The Janamat Party's statement also highlighted that Speaker Ghimire had previously discriminated against MPs from Madhesh-based parties, including Janamat Party, by refusing to provide them special time in Parliament. The party also accused him of showing extreme racism and color prejudice, particularly regarding the registration and tabling of a proposal against racial discrimination.

The party further stated, "If the Federal Parliament Secretariat continues its discriminatory policies towards the Madheshi people, we will strongly oppose it in Parliament and will be forced to block the session if these decisions are not rectified."

On November 18, Speaker Ghimire had refused to display the notice about the expulsion of Goma Labh Sapkota, following a complaint filed by the Janamat Party. The party has claimed that all procedures were followed in expelling Sapkota.