By Our Reporter
Rastriya Swatantra Party of Rabi Lamichhane has quit the government for failing to regain the portfolio of the Home Ministry.
Thirty-two days after the formation of the government under Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachnada of the Maoist Centre, the RSP decided to quit the government on Sunday. However, the party said it would continue its support to the government.
Minister for Education, Science and Technology Shishir Khanal, Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Dol Prasad Aryal and State Minister for Health Dr Toshima Karki tendered their resignation also on Sunday.
Rastriya Swatantra Party chairman Laimchhane, who lost the post of the lawmaker as well as the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister after the Supreme Court verdict of January 27 that he was not holding legitimate citizenship of Nepal when he filed his nomination, contested the House of Representatives elections and got elected from Chitwan-2, had been demanding the portfolio of Home Ministry, which Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ denied, made the announcement to quit the government 10 days after he lost his position in the government.
Lamichhane made his decision to quit the government public by organising a press conference at the party’s office in Basundhara, Kathmandu, Sunday afternoon.
In his two-hour address, he heavily criticised the media, especially the Kantipur and 12 senior journalists. When he expressed only his ire in the press meeting, the body language of many of his leaders showed he was not doing the right thing.
The RSP has won seven seats in the House of Representatives (HoR) under the First-past-the-post (FPTP) voting system and 13 seats under the proportional representation (PR) system in the November 20 elections. The party was formed in June 2022.
The RSP joined the government after party chair Lamichhane was appointed as the powerful Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs in the Prachanda-led coalition government on December 26, 2022.
Later, three other lawmakers from the RSP were also inducted in the Council of Ministers.
Earlier, on February 2, the RSP had threatened to quit the government if the coalition failed to ensure the Home Ministry’s portfolio to the party within two days.
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