Kathmandu, July 18: Deputy Speaker Indira Rana Magar has been dragged into controversy following her alleged involvement in a scheme to facilitate Nepali people’s travel to the United States under the pretext of job opportunities.
According to sources, she, alongside six others, recently applied for US visas. However, the US embassy denied them visas.
The sources claimed that some leaders of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) close to the Deputy Speaker took money from individuals promising them US visas. Some of the alleged victims have been identified as Upendra Gautam, Sushma Lama, Rajesh Lama Tamang, Sujan Gharti Magar and Dhan Prasad Gurung.
It is said that some parliamentarians have possessed evidence relating to these allegations, and were planning to make them public soon. This issue has raised concerns about potential misuse of authority as officials like the Deputy Speaker get their travel arrangements handled through official government channels.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Parliament Secretariat, manages visa procedures for VIPs. However, the Deputy Speaker bypassed these protocols by directly applying for a visa, it has been claimed.
