Lawmakers Raise Questions on Kaptanganj Incident in Parliament Meeting

In today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, there was again a demand to clarify the Prime Minister’s statement regarding the border.

At the outset of the meeting, opposition party MPs stood up demanding a clarification from the Prime Minister, and Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal gave time to Nepali Congress’s chief whip Basana Thapa to speak.

The chief whip of the main opposition party in the parliament, Thapa, said that they had to continue their protest because the demand for the Prime Minister to clarify his earlier statement on border issues had not been met.

She called on the government to carry out an impartial investigation into the death of Omprakash Mehta, a local youth from Kaptanganj, Sunsari, reportedly in police firing in an attempt to quell a clash between two communities there.

Thapa urged the government to pay special attention to that, since the government’s primary duty is to ensure the security arrangements, including the protection of citizens’ lives and property.

Communist Party of Nepal (UML) lawmaker Padma Kumari Aryal requested the Prime Minister to correct what he spoke about the border in Parliament two months ago.

She drew the government’s attention to seriously take action on issues like quickly solving the problems of local residents, prompt supply of chemical fertilizers to farmers, and the fact that four Nepalis who went to India in search of fertilizers have been missing for 25–26 days and are now in an Indian jail, urging to bring them safely back to Nepal.

Aryal accused the state of failing to control the riot that happened on July 26 in Sunsari district. She urged the government to exercise restraint, as rage and infuriation do not always lead to the right decision, and to take responsibility for the Kaptanganj incident.

MP Aryal said that we should work under the concept of ‘Let us all live, let us save everyone.’ Similarly, she drew the government’s attention to minimizing and preventing potential damage across the country due to the rains. Nepali Communist Party (NCP) MP Gopal Sharma expressed his sadness that despite repeatedly demanding the Prime Minister to correct his statement on the border issue, it has not been addressed.

He accused the state of not being sensitive regarding the incident that happened in Kaptanganj, Sunsari. Khusbu Oli, a lawmaker from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, said that all parties need to speak clearly about resolving the Sunsari incident and maintaining harmony. She emphasized that a sustainable solution to the incident should be sought politically and pointed out the need for further initiatives to that end from the government. MP Oli also urged all sides to come forward responsibly to maintain social harmony.

Shram Sanskriti Party’s MP Aaren Rai said that the statements made by the Prime Minister about the border two months ago were not clear, and that this matter has not been removed from the parliamentary records.

He mentioned that the government should take a leading role in resolving the incidents and unrest seen in Sunsari and other areas, and expressed the view that the government itself should take the initiative for a solution. MP Rai expressed the opinion that force should not be used to solve such problems. (RSS)