KATHMANDU: Lawmakers from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) continued their protest in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, pressing for a parliamentary investigation committee on the controversial visit visa scandal and demanding the resignation of State Affairs and Good Governance Committee Chairperson Ramhari Khatiwada.

Since May 27, RSP and RPP have been staging protests in Parliament, calling for a thorough probe into alleged irregularities in the issuance of visit visas.

In today’s session, RSP spokesperson and lawmaker Manish Jha, and RPP lawmaker Roshan Karki, raised their concerns in the House before walking out in protest.

Jha slammed the government for its indifference towards addressing the visa-related issues and accused Khatiwada of being responsible for the mismanagement in the “cooling-off period” controversy.

“We have been repeatedly questioned about our morality and competence. Now, ethical questions are being raised against the Chair of the State Affairs Committee. When similar reports surfaced earlier, we were the ones interrogated on moral grounds. Who will answer for this incompetence now?” Jha demanded.

He further stated that Khatiwada’s position as committee chair has become untenable due to his direct involvement in procedural irregularities.

“Accountability is not optional. We are adding the resignation of the State Affairs Committee Chairperson to our movement’s agenda,” Jha added.

Joining the protest, RPP lawmaker Roshan Karki questioned the legitimacy of continuing the parliamentary session while lawmakers were actively protesting.

“Is the government accountable to Parliament, or is Parliament accountable to the government?” she asked, confronting the Speaker.

Following their statements, both RSP and RPP lawmakers exited the House in protest, signaling that their agitation will persist until their demands are addressed.