Opposition Congress Boycotts Committee Meeting Over Prime Minister’s Absence

Kathmandu. The main opposition party Nepali Congress has become dissatisfied after Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen) was absent for the second consecutive time in the meeting of the State Management and Good Governance Committee. The Congress stated that it needs to seek answers from the Prime Minister, who is also holding the responsibility of the Home Minister, regarding various sensitive issues related to the forceful eviction of squatters, security administration, and the Home Ministry. However, since Prime Minister Balen has been continuously absent from the meeting, Congress has boycotted the meeting itself. Congress Parliamentary Party leader Bhishma Raj Angdembe, Chief Whip Nishkal Rai, and lawmakers Arjun Narsingh KC and Rekha Kumari Yadav are in the committee. They were absent from the meeting called for 11 AM on Monday. Committee Congress Parliamentary Party leader Angdembe commented that the committee meeting is meaningless in the absence of the Prime Minister. He said, ‘We need to get answers from the Home Ministry regarding issues including squatters. Since Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen) is in the role of Home Minister, we will come if the Prime Minister comes and gives answers. If the Prime Minister does not come, we have said that our presence will not be for the purpose of formally meeting, discussing, introducing ourselves, and having tea. Today also, reiterating this, we were absent from the meeting.’ Angdembe also mentioned that the committee chairman Hari Dhakal was told to inform the meeting if the Prime Minister would be present. According to him, he reminded Chairman Dhakal that Prime Minister Balen had been repeatedly urged to be present in the committee. ‘There is no meaningful purpose in the committee meeting without the Prime Minister, we need to ask him for answers,’ Angdembe clarified. The committee meeting has been affected for the second time due to the Prime Minister’s absence. This seems to have further strained the government-opposition relationship in the parliamentary committee as well.…Read more by