KATHMANDU: Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has said he will respond to questions related to the visit visa scandal at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Parliament.

During Wednesday’s meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, lawmakers raised concerns about the alleged misuse of visit visas and the involvement of immigration officials.

In response, Minister Lekhak requested to be allowed to speak in the full House, stating that many lawmakers have questions about the issue and it would be more appropriate to address them collectively in Parliament rather than in the committee.

He said, “There are ongoing investigations by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) into some staff and officials at the TIA Immigration Office. If the concerns were limited to this committee, I would have answered here.

But since other lawmakers also have similar queries, I request to be allowed to speak in the House, where I will respond to all the questions raised.”

Opposition parties have accused Minister Lekhak of being involved in the scandal and have been obstructing parliamentary proceedings demanding an investigation into his role.

Minister Lekhak assured that once given the opportunity to speak in Parliament, he will address all concerns and provide comprehensive answers to lawmakers.

In the same committee meeting, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) lawmaker Buddhi Man Tamang questioned why security personnel assigned to RPP leaders were withdrawn.

In response, Minister Lekhak clarified that the security personnel were temporarily recalled to be deployed during recent protests and would be reassigned to the leaders once the demonstrations concluded.

The government had recently withdrawn security assigned to RPP Chief Whip Gyan Bahadur Shahi and other party leaders, drawing criticism from RPP.

Minister Lekhak explained, “Security personnel were needed to manage protests. They were not withdrawn permanently. Once the situation calms down, they will be reassigned.”

With the opposition maintaining their obstruction in Parliament and demanding Lekhak’s resignation, uncertainty continues over whether the House session will proceed smoothly.