Kathmandu, 25 May: Nepali Congress Member of Parliament Rajendra Bajgain has submitted a letter to party president and parliamentary party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, via Chief Whip Shyam Kumar Ghimire, demanding the dismissal of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Badri Pandey.
According to an official working in the Congress parliamentary party who spoke to RatoPati, MP Bajgain reached the parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar on Sunday and handed the letter to Chief Whip Ghimire, calling for action against the Home Minister and the Tourism Minister.
In the letter, titled “Regarding the immediate dismissal of ministers involved in corruption and showing weak performance to protect the image of the party,” Bajgain writes that the conduct of some Congress ministers is seriously damaging the party’s dignity and public trust. He warns that if the party fails to take a tough decision in time, it could face more serious political consequences in the future.
He points out that the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has begun a probe against employees working in the secretariat of Home Minister Lekhak, which raises serious ethical questions. “The CIAA has already initiated an investigation against staffers working in the Home Minister’s secretariat. According to public reports, the secretariat itself appears to be involved in human trafficking and misuse of immigration authority — this represents a grave crisis in one of the state’s most sensitive organs,” Bajgain states in the letter. “This raises ethical accountability on the part of the Home Minister. It’s not just a question about the leadership of the ministry but about the legal integrity of the institution as a whole.”
Similarly, Bajgain writes that the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, under Minister Badri Pandey, has completely damaged the tourism sector. “Looking at the situation of Tribhuvan International Airport, it seems the place has become a hub for smugglers. The shops, service providers, loaders, cleaning companies, and various outsourced company operators inside the airport have been found involved in gold and foreign currency smuggling — some even with direct access to the apron and aircraft,” the letter reads.
He adds that from the baggage belts to the departure area, the green channel line, customs, and the coordination among airport staff, all systems are in utter disarray. Foreign visitors arriving in Nepal are being subjected to disorder, foul smells, delays, and irresponsible behavior from day one, Bajgain states.
He concludes the letter by demanding that, to protect the party’s reputation and promote institutional integrity, all ministers who are controversial, involved in corruption, or have failed entirely in terms of performance, should be immediately dismissed.
