The meeting couldn't enter into any business as NC lawmakers kept on shouting for 10 minutes immediately after Speaker Onsari Gharti called Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN) Chairman Upendra Yadav to speak first.
NC lawmakers shouted against speaker stating that parliamentary practices provision for the main opposition to speak first in the house meeting. Confronting NC's claim, Speaker Gharti claimed that Yadav was allowed to address the House meeting first as she had received prior permission for doing so from NC Chief Whip Chinkaji Shrestha.
“I had called Yadav for addressing the house on the basis of an understanding reached with NC chief whip. Shrestha had agreed to allow the agitating party leader to speak fir and than to give time for lawmakers from other parties on the basis of their strength in the parliament,” Gharti told reporters after the meeting.
However, NC Chief Whip Shrestha refuted Gharti's claim. He maintained that he hadn't given such consent to the speaker because it is certain that lawmakers from the agitating Madhesi parties obstruct parliament proceedings subsequently after their leader completes his address. “What is the point in agreeing to address after Madhesi leaders even after it is certain that they obstruct the meeting after their address,” said Shrestha.
Shrestha claimed that he had insisted on allowing NC's Bimalendra Nidhi to speak first and allow Yadav only after that. “I was also trying to convince Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN) chief whip on it, but speaker commenced the parliament meeting without reaching any conclusion,” Shrestha told Republica.
FSFN chief whip Dr. Shivaji Yadav said that he had demanded for permission to allow Yadav to speak first as he had been to parliament after long time from strike-hit Madhes.
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