PM won’t appear in House immediately: Rabi
He further said that the government’s official response on the matter would be delivered by Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal.
KATHMANDU: Rabi Lamichhane, President of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has said that Prime Minister Balen Shah cannot immediately appear in Parliament to clarify his recent controversial remarks related to India.
The statement was made during a multiparty meeting held on Monday at Singha Durbar, where opposition parties demanded that the Prime Minister personally come to Parliament and clarify his remark that “Nepal has also encroached several areas of India.”
According to participants, opposition parties insisted that the Prime Minister must address the issue directly in Parliament before any further parliamentary business proceeds.
However, Lamichhane informed the meeting that the Prime Minister would not be able to attend Parliament immediately.
He further said that the government’s official response on the matter would be delivered by Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal.
Lamichhane also added that he himself would respond if the Foreign Minister’s explanation did not satisfy the concerns raised by lawmakers.
After the meeting, CPN (UML) chief whip CPN (UML) spokesperson Ain Mahar told reporters that Lamichhane had informed them about the government’s plan for the Foreign Minister to respond in Parliament instead of the Prime Minister.
Opposition parties reiterated their stance that parliamentary proceedings should not move forward unless the Prime Minister clarifies his statement.
The multiparty meeting also included a briefing from Lamichhane regarding his recent visit to India.
