KATHMANDU, July 14: The Chairperson and lawmaker of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rajendra Lingden, has questioned the whereabouts of the Prime Minister’s good governance commission amid growing allegations of corruption involving ministers.
Speaking at the House of Representatives on Monday, Lingden asked, “Where is the PM’s good governance commission today, when the people and the country are searching for it? One minister after another is being implicated in financial dealings.”
He further stated, “If there is any moral responsibility left, shouldn’t those ministers be dismissed?”
Where there is government, there is corruption!
Lingden also accused the government of diverting public attention while looting the nation. He said, “They claimed to have subdued royalists and suppressed republic critics, misleading the public. But it turns out to be like the tale of the cunning jackal — crying ‘the eagle is coming’ only to grab the chick itself. While diverting people’s attention, they are looting the country.”
Minister Gupta became embroiled in the bribery case after an audio recording surfaced revealing a ‘deal’ involving the transfer of employees and land revenue officers under the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation. The minister is accused of accepting Rs 5.3 million to halt the transfer of Ramchandra Adhikari, the then chief of the Land Revenue Office in Kaski, and an additional Rs 2.5 million for the appointment of a district chairperson in the Land Commission—totaling approximately Rs 7.8 million.
A complaint was filed with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, accompanied by photos of two bags containing the bribe money, along with serial numbers and bundles of currency notes. Following the registration of the complaint, the audio recording of the bribery deal involving Minister Gupta was made public.
Following the audio scandal leak, PM Oli on Monday morning summoned minister Gupta and directed his resignation.
