Kathmandu, November 4
Opposition parties have demanded a meeting of the House of Representatives’ State Affairs and Good Governance Committee to investigate audio recordings linked to middleman Inam Sapkota and questions raised in connection with him.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) parliamentary party leader Gyanendra Shahi has formally written to the committee chairperson seeking a meeting. Other opposition parties say they have also informally called for the committee to convene.
“I have formally submitted a written request to call a committee meeting,” Shahi told Onlinekhabar.
In his letter addressed to committee chair Hari Dhakal, Shahi referred to several recent incidents he described as serious and concerning. These include growing tensions between the Nepal Police inspector general and the government, the arrest of journalists without apparent grounds, alleged gross misuse of state power, and the seizure of a mobile phone belonging to a person taken into police custody at the residence of Prime Minister’s adviser Kumar Ben.
Shahi called for an immediate committee meeting to hold a serious discussion and conduct the necessary investigation into issues directly related to state affairs and governance.
He also requested that the prime minister, home minister, home secretary and Nepal Police inspector general be required to attend the meeting and provide clear answers on the matters raised.
Yuvraj Dulal, chief whip of the Nepali Communist Party, has also sent a letter requesting a committee meeting.
“Unusual incidents involving the state and government agencies are occurring with increasing frequency. What has happened, and why are government agencies operating unlawfully? How was the audio recording allegedly involving Inam Sapkota, who was in police custody, leaked?” his letter states.
The letter also raises questions about the basis for social media posts by the prime minister and his chief adviser, Kumar Ben, in connection with the controversy.
It further questions the arrest and subsequent release of journalists, alongside the government’s claim that it had no knowledge of the actions.
“ It is the duty and responsibility of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee to summon the home minister and the inspector general of police to answer these serious questions and hold the government accountable. I therefore earnestly request that the committee meeting be called without delay,” the letter states.
Dulal said he had spoken with the committee chairperson, who had responded positively to the request to convene a meeting.
