Kathmandu [Nepal], June 11 (ANI): The lower house of Nepal’s federal parliament has been in a state of deadlock for 15 consecutive days as opposition parties continue to protest against the government’s handling of the escalating “visit visa” controversy. The ongoing disruption, which began on May 27, centers around demands for the resignation of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.
Although the opposition initially called for Lekhak’s resignation, it has since softened its stance, now demanding the formation of either a parliamentary or judicial committee to investigate the scandal. However, consensus on the structure and oversight of the proposed investigation remains elusive, prolonging the stalemate.
“This House has been in deadlock for over fourteen days. Parliament is the platform for discussing national issues. I urge all members to return to their seats so we can begin deliberations,” Speaker Devraj Ghimire urged at Wednesday’s parliamentary session.
The protest stems from an investigation by the Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA), which uncovered a vast network involved in facilitating human trafficking through fraudulent visit visas. The operation was allegedly run with the support of officials at Tribhuvan International Airport’s immigration office, including Joint Secretary Tirtharaj Bhattarai, who was serving as the airport’s Immigration Chief.
The CIAA’s probe revealed that Bhattarai and other officials exploited systemic vulnerabilities to enable the illegal passage of hundreds of Nepalis daily, reportedly collecting up to NPR 300,000 per traveler. This scheme, sustained through coded conversations and under-the-table transactions, allegedly generated illicit revenue of approximately NPR 5 million daily.
Bhattarai, previously accused in other corruption scandals, was controversially appointed as Chief of Immigration by Home Minister Lekhak. He was reassigned back to the Home Ministry just one day before the CIAA raided the airport. On May 21, he was arrested following the raid, during which digital devices and documents were seized for further investigation.
The opposition argues that the Home Minister’s office, including members of Lekhak’s personal secretariat, is complicit in the scandal. They have raised concerns that key personnel at the immigration office were handpicked based on loyalty rather than competence, deepening suspicions of institutionalized corruption within the ministry.
Despite pressure, Prime Minister KP Oli and the ruling CPN-UML party remain unwilling to form a separate investigative committee, insisting the CIAA’s ongoing probe is sufficient. The Nepali Congress, a key player in the ruling coalition, shares this view, suggesting that duplicating investigations could undermine the anti-graft body’s mandate.
Meanwhile, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has proposed the formation of a high-level investigation committee within five days to conduct a broader, multi-dimensional probe into the roles of travel agencies, manpower companies, airlines, and both domestic and foreign organizations implicated in the human trafficking network.
The RSP’s draft proposal has yet to gain full backing. The Nepali Congress continues to engage in both bilateral and multilateral discussions in an effort to resolve the impasse, with Deputy President Purna Bahadur Khadka leading negotiations.
As opposition protests persist and the deadlock continues, questions loom over the government’s willingness to ensure accountability and transparency, while safeguarding Nepal’s democratic institutions. The situation underscores deepening public frustration with governance failures and corruption within the country’s immigration system. (ANI)
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