Dahal under growing pressure to probe his home minister

The main opposition, the Nepali Congress, continues to up the ante against Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane.

The party has been buoyed by wider political support as it seeks to bolster its case for the formation of a parliamentary probe committee to look into Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in the misuse of cooperative funds.

According to Congress leaders, the party is invigorated by the growing support of other forces in the House of Representatives to its call for the committee’s formation.

But Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has strongly stood in defence of his home minister.

As parliamentary politics continues to be polarised over the formation of a parliamentary committee to study the misuse of funds totalling billions of rupees by hundreds of cooperative operators across the country, opposition parties led by the Congress will now pile pressure on the government to comply, according to party leaders.

On Wednesday, another opposition Rastriya Prajatantra Party echoed the Congress’ demand for a parliamentary probe and joined the main opposition in obstructing the regular House business. Even the ruling CPN (Unified Socialist) urged the government to heed the demand of the opposition parties.

“Our strategy and objective are clear,” Bishwa Prakash Sharma, a general secretary of the Congress, told the Post. “What we are demanding in the House is based on facts and figures. Moreover, our demand captures the plight of the millions of people duped by cooperatives.”

As his party’s demand was enjoying broader support, the Congress would not abandon it, said Sharma. “We only have a few questions for the home minister.”

“First, the money deposited in cooperatives should not be used to run a media company, which is an embezzlement,” said Sharma. “The Gorkha Media Pvt Ltd where GB Rai was the chairman and Lamichanne the managing director illegally diverted over Rs800 million [from cooperatives], but where is that media company now? It has been shut down. And there are also documents that prove Lamichhane had shares in the media house. That is why it is a serious issue.”

Nepali Congress leaders said they were not targeting the home minister. “We are demanding investigation into all cooperatives that are facing problems in our quest to return the deposits of millions of people,” said Sharma.

On Wednesday, too, the opposition lawmakers rose from their seats demanding the resignation of Home Minister Lamichhane and formation of a parliamentary committee to probe his alleged involvement in the cooperative scam.

The only party that appears united in rejecting a parliamentary probe against Lamichhane is the CPN-UML, a central committee member of the Nepali Congress said. “This is not due to the UML’s affection for Home Minister Lamichhane, but due to the fear of several of their leaders and cadres that they too could be dragged into various co-operative scams.”

The UML leaders have presented varying arguments on a parliamentary probe. A case involving the Pokhara-based Surya Darshan Cooperative, to which Lamichanne has been linked, is sub judice in a court, said UML lawmaker Surya Thapa. “So it cannot be discussed in the House.”

“The case of Surya Darshan is under review at the Kaski district court. As per the constitution, no sub judice case can be discussed in the House. We had raised this issue [that sub judice cases should not be discussed] even when we were in the opposition, and now, as a ruling party, we continue to do so. The Nepali Congress clearly wants to sow division in the ruling coalition,” said Thapa.

On Wednesday, too, the House was divided for and against the formation of a parliamentary probe. Besides the Congress and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the ruling CPN (Unified Socialist) and Janata Samajbadi Party are also not convinced with the position of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on the probe committee.

Lawmaker Rajendra Pandey of the Unified Socialist, speaking in the lower house on Wednesday, drew the government’s attention to the main opposition’s demand and suggested holding “meaningful dialogue” to end the deadlock.

He also seconded the proposal for a comprehensive investigation of cooperative scams and corruption cases right from 1990, as demanded by lawmakers from the main opposition Congress, ruling RSP and other parties.

When Pandey, who is also a vice-chair of the ruling Unified Socialist, was airing his views, Congress lawmakers were seen thumping tables as they welcomed his statements.

Earlier on Tuesday, he said an accused minister should resign from the post and pave the way for independent investigation. “The insistence [by Lamichhane] to stay in power makes one suspect foul play,” Pandey told journalists outside the parliament building.

A Maoist Centre lawmaker, requesting anonymity, told the Post that the cooperative scam is a serious issue and should be dealt with utmost care.

“Publicly, we cannot demand a parliamentary probe into Lamichhane, but several of our party’s lawmakers agree that this issue is nuanced and calls for a more careful consideration,” the Maoist lawmaker said. “Prime Minister Dahal is under pressure of [UML chief] Oli not to form such a committee.”

“Growing controversy appears to have caused unease in Lamichhane’s party, and some [RSP] lawmakers have been asking us to settle this issue once and for all,” the Nepali Congress lawmaker said.

In Parliament, Maoist Centre lawmakers are primarily focussed on shielding the prime minister, but they have been conspicuously silent on home minister Lamichhane. Very few Maoist lawmakers have spoken about this issue in the House.

Maoist Centre lawmaker Madhav Sapkota told the House that the prime minister’s reply on the allegations against Home Minister Lamichhane were based on the facts provided by state agencies.

“The prime minister’s response may not have satisfied the opposition parties, but Congress should stop targeting an individual,” he said.

Lamichhane, who is accused of misusing cooperative funds worth millions of rupees, rejects the charges.