KATHMANDU, July 2: Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane remarked that the power dynamics in the government shifted dramatically overnight after the Home Ministry opened major corruption files.
Speaking to journalists at Singha Durbar on Tuesday, Lamichhane, who is also President of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) said, "The coalition government could not last even for one night after significant corruption files were opened." He suggested that the sudden change in power alliances was an effort to protect certain individuals involved in corruption.
Corruption and Misconceptions
He referred to the arrest of Bechan Jha, implicated in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, noting how the corruption revelations immediately altered the power balance. Lamichhane said, "You asked for the files to be opened, but the government fell overnight once we did so."
Lamichhane blamed the change in equation to the recent arrest of Jha, who named prominent figures, including Nepali Congress (NC) leader Arzu Rana. He suggested the change in government was linked to these exposures, with speculations arising regarding Jha's connections with high-level leaders.
He criticized the current coalition between UML and NC as detrimental to democracy. He said, "While it’s generally good for parties to unite, the current coalition between UML and NC is not right for democracy. Parties should unite during significant political events, emergencies, or national crises, but this union is to protect those involved in major corruption."
Lamichhane emphasized that the Nepali people understand the government's overnight change aimed to protect a few individuals. He declared, "The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) will not join the new alliance."
