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Deputy Speaker In Serious Dispute After Her Letter To The US Embassy Leaked!

Jul 19, Kathmandu- Deputy Speaker Indira Rana has been embroiled in controversy after the letter she wrote to the American Embassy was made public saying that people who are not related to the party and the Parliament Secretariat should not arrange an interview date for visas.

It was found that Deputy Speaker Rana, claiming to be a member of her team, had requested the US Embassy in Kathmandu to move forward the time of the interview of 5 people.

She has requested to arrange an interview time for the visa using her letterhead. The Deputy Speaker, who recommended five other men for visas along with her, did not disclose the role they were working in either in the letter or now after the letter was made public.

Speaker Devraj Ghimire has said that the matter is serious. Deputy Speaker Rana responded that she could not understand why this issue was raised after a year.

Rana, an MP of National Independent Party (NIP), was elected Deputy Speaker on 7th January 2079. Next month in Falgun, she went to America to participate in UN Women's CSW 67 (March 6 to 17). The question of why she chose to send only men to the program related to women also seems mysterious.

In the letter she wrote to the embassy on 14th Falgun (26th February), it is said, "I would like to request that I, along with the MP and my supporting members, also want to schedule an interview together." Because the schedule of the program has also come close.

Saying that this program is very important for six people including herself, she wrote in the letter, 'I express my heartfelt gratitude to the invitation of the United Nations and I am hopeful for your coordination.'

According to NIP leaders, there was a discussion in the party about the letter written by the Deputy Speaker to the American Embassy. Shankar Shrestha, secretary of the organization department, informed the leaders including Chairman Rabi Lamichhane, Deputy Chairman Swarnim Wagle about this.

After that, when Deputy Speaker Rana was asked, she replied that she only knew Upendra Gautam, the leader of NIP Jhapa, and wrote the letter as she said. Based on their passport numbers, it was seen that they had not gone to the US through the Immigration Department (at that time, Rabi Lamichhane, the President of NIP, was the Home Minister). When the inquiry started, it was revealed that they had not gone to America yet.

The party wanted to discuss the people mentioned in the letter. But after they refused to come saying that our money has been returned, the matter remained secret. "After not returning the money for a year, they have been coming to the party to say," says a leader, "The money has been returned, we will not give a statement, that's all."

The letter written by the Deputy Speaker to the US Embassy was made public only recently after almost 17 months. Speaker Devraj Ghimire is interested in the letter to be taken for the visa as a member of his team.

He had initially asked the Deputy Speaker, Rana claimed that she had not written the letter. "if the letter is wrong, to file a complaint with the Press Council against the media that published it," said a source close to the speaker, "but she did nothing."