NC obstructs House protesting CIAA decision today as well

KATHMANDU, Feb 7: The main opposition party Nepali Congress has obstructed the House of Representatives meeting Friday as well, protesting the CIAA decision not to file corruption case against former Prime Ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Nepal Communist Party General Secretary Bishnu Paudel and former Supreme Court justice Kumar Regmi in the Lalita Niwas land grab scam.

The CIAA on Wednesday filed a charge-sheet against 175 individuals including Nepali Congress Deputy-Parliamentary Leader Bijay Kumar Gachhadar and three former ministers accusing them of illegally transferring the land at Lalita Niwas to the name of various individuals but did not charge sheet Nepal, Bhattarai, Paudel and Regmi.

The anti-graft body has stated it gave amnesty to Paudel and Regmi since Paudel’s son Navin and Regmi had promised to return the land to the government, while Nepal and Bhattarai were not charged as the cabinet decisions do not fall under their jurisdiction.

“The CIAA itself has misused the authority. How can CIAA not file a case against prime minister whose cabinet made the decision but indict a minister over the same case?,” said Min Bahadur Bishwakarma.

“How can the CIAA conclude Paudel and Regmi innocent just because they promised to return the land?”

“The CIAA’s decision to implicate Gachhadar is heavily influenced by the government,” he reiterated.

As soon as Bishwakarma completed his statement, the NC lawmaker stood from their seats. Despite Speaker’s frequent request to the lawmaker to sit down and allow House business, the kept standing forcing Speaker Sapkota to halt the meeting for half an hour.