HoR session: MPs Gaire and Dhakal trade barbs

Kathmandu, February 25 — The House of Representatives meeting on Tuesday witnessed a heated exchange between the ruling CPN (UML) and the opposition Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) over cooperative fraud cases involving RSP President and former Home Minister, Rabi Lamichhane.

UML lawmaker Thakur Gaire and RSP lawmaker Hari Dhakal engaged in a clash during the special session of parliament.

Initially, UML MP Gaire raised concerns regarding the parliamentary special investigation committee's report.

He questioned the timing of the clean chit announcement, stating, “Why announce a clean chit outside parliament before even the report is read out? Now RSP claims that the government is taking revenge. These actions are not controlling corruption, but instead protecting and promoting corrupt individuals.”

Gaire further demanded that the government take action against those involved in cooperative fraud, urging, "Let us present those who committed fraud in the cooperatives with full evidence in the parliament. We must create conditions where the government can take action against them."

In response, RSP MP Hari Dhakal sarcastically remarked that it seemed like the parliamentary committee’s report was never studied in detail, particularly regarding Rabi Lamichhane’s involvement.

He commented, "It seems like the honorable members haven’t studied the parliamentary report. The 449 pages of the report state that Lamichhane was not directly involved in the loan-taking from the cooperative."

Dhakal added that the report referred to legal actions to be taken according to prevailing laws in the case of the Gorkha Media fund, but questioned why the case was being treated as money laundering or fraud under different legal provisions.

"According to the prevailing laws, The Companies Act, 2006 should be followed, not multiple different charges like money laundering or fraud. What is going on?" he asked.

He further claimed that if any of the party leaders from the 1990 era were investigated even a little, they would have nowhere to hide.

Dhakal pointed out that the fight against corruption, driven by the youth, gained momentum from the 2022 parliamentary elections.