KATHMANDU, May 20: The ongoing parliamentary obstruction by the main opposition party, Nepali Congress, failed to reach anywhere closer to the resolution on Sunday with NC and the ruling parties standing at odds over the mandate of the parliamentary probe committee to investigate the cooperative scam. 

NC General Secretary Gagan Thapa has announced that they would not allow the next meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) called for 11 AM Monday to proceed unless the ruling parties agree to form the parliamentary committee with a mandate to bring also Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane under its purview. 

Sources said while the ruling parties want to form the parliamentary probe committee to investigate cooperative scam without mentioning the names of Home Minister Lamichhane, who is also the president of Rastriya Swatantra Party, the main opposition NC has objected to it. The failure of both the sides to budge from their stance is likely to further prolong the house obstruction. 

As per the request of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the NC had allowed Home Minister Lamichhane to address the parliament concerning allegations directed against him. But as Speaker Devraj Ghimire did not allow NC leaders to respond to Lamichhane’s remarks, NC General Secretary Gagan Thapa organized a separate press conference to put forth his party’s position.

Thapa announced that they won’t allow PM Dahal to receive a vote of confidence if the parliamentary probe committee that categorically puts Lamichhane and the cooperatives where his name has been linked under its jurisdiction is formed. He also announced NC’s intention to obstruct the parliament meeting if such a committee is not formed before 11 AM Monday.

In his address to the parliament, Home Minister Lamichhane had threatened to open files of corruption and misappropriations involving the leaders belonging to the NC. In particular, he appeared to be critical of the NC General Secretary Thapa, who has been spearheading the demand to form a probe committee to investigate the embezzlement of cooperative funds. He alleged that Thapa had misappropriated the fund he received for goat farming and also sold the state's confidential information to the foreign country.

Speaking during the press conference shortly afterward, Thapa challenged Minister Lamichhane to substantiate his allegation and asked him to start investigation as per the existing laws of the land. He also commented that the remarks of Home Minister Lamichhane was that of a TV anchor rather than that of the country’s home minister overseeing the overall security of the country.