Jwala Sangraula: No delay in sending Ramhari to jail

KATHMANDU: Jwala Sangraula, leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has demanded the immediate arrest and imprisonment of Congress lawmaker Ram Hari Khatiwada after he resigned amid controversy over the ‘cooling period’ provision in the Federal Civil Service Bill.

Khatiwada stepped down from his position as chairperson of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee following widespread criticism over the bill’s report, which allegedly diluted the cooling period clause.

The resignation came amid mounting pressure.

Reacting on Facebook a day after Khatiwada’s resignation, Sangraula condemned the move as an attempt to “wash away misconduct and crimes,” insisting that resignation alone is insufficient. She called for his dismissal from parliament and legal action against him.

“Does giving a resignation clean away misconduct and crimes? Immediately dismiss him as an MP and send him to jail. The time for leniency is over,” Sangraula wrote.

Khatiwada stated that although party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba asked him not to resign, he stepped down on moral grounds and is ready to face any punishment if found guilty in investigations.

However, Sangraula emphasized that resignation is not enough and urged for strict legal consequences.