KATHMANDU, March 19: Chief Whip of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC), Shyam Kumar Ghimire, has apologized in parliament for his statement over the legalization of prostitution in Nepal. Addressing the meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) on Wednesday, Chief Whip Ghimire apologized, stating that the remark made on March 16 was a personal opinion.
“On March 16, during the special hours of the parliament, the opinion I presented in the House was a personal opinion made in a specific context. This opinion does not reflect the official stance of the NC or the parliamentary party. If these views have caused any negative impact on the respected members of the House or the general public, I would like to apologize to them with due respect,” he said.
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While addressing the HoR on Sunday, Ghimire argued that legalizing prostitution could attract more tourists to Nepal. He claimed that recreational tourism tends to draw higher-spending visitors compared to religious tourism. However, his statement, mainly the proposal to legalize prostitution in Nepal, courted widespread criticisms.
Additionally, Chief Whip Ghimire, while putting forth his views on the Substitution Bills that are currently under discussions in the parliament, suggested that both prostitution and cannabis trade should be legalized to maximize the tourism sector’s economic potential.
After facing strong opposition in both houses of parliament following his remark advocating for the legalization of prostitution in Nepal, he has now apologized.
