KATHMANDU, June 21: Members of Parliament raised objections to the presence of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's daughter, Ganga Dahal, during his high-level meeting in India.
During the meeting of the International Relations Committee under the House of Representatives held on Wednesday, UML MP Sunita Baral indirectly criticized Ganga Dahal, highlighting the discrepancy between the 'Nepali side' using a mobile phone and the 'Indian side' equipped with a diary and a pen. Baral questioned, "Shouldn't the Nepali side be taking notes during the meeting with the Prime Minister?"
Ganga Dahal actively participated in delegation-level discussions and various meetings alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Additionally, she appeared in photographs during Prime Minister Dahal's courtesy call with Indian President Draupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
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During his visit to India last May, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a one-on-one meeting with Security Advisor Ajit Doval at the hotel where he was staying. Accompanying Doval was Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, while Prime Minister Dahal invited his personal secretary, Ganga Dahal, who also happens to be his daughter, to attend the meeting. However, the decision to include his daughter instead of a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the official photograph drew criticism once it became public.
UML MP Surya Thapa expressed concerns about Ganga Dahal's presence in the meeting between the Prime Minister and the Security Advisor. UML MPs Bhim Acharya, Damodar Poudel Bairagi, and Sunita Baral emphasized that the Prime Minister's visit to India disregarded protocol.
Nepali Congress MP Bimalendra Nidhi and Maoist Center's Barshaman Pun defended the decision, emphasizing that previous Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, First President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, and outgoing President Bidya Devi Bhandari had included their daughters on foreign tours. Pun stated, "It has long been a tradition to bring their daughter as the first lady when the head of government and the head of state do not have a spouse. If a clear stance had been taken on whether this practice is acceptable or not, there would not have been any controversy during the prime minister's visit."
Foreign Minister Saud mentioned that it is customary to have a spouse or a family member represent the President or the Head of Government during bilateral meetings. He stated, "This practice is followed in the context of the President or the Head of Government."
