Nepal’s government was left staring at a crisis Sunday as ally Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) recalled its ministers — a likely prelude to withdrawal of support — over the non-reinstatement of its chairman to the Prachanda-led cabinet after he regained his citizenship. Rabi Lamichhane had lost his citizenship, House membership, RSP chairmanship and cabinet positions of Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister last week after the Nepal Supreme Court ruled that he was not a Nepali citizen. Lamichhane reacquired his citizenship and party chairmanship two days after the verdict, but failed to re-enter the cabinet as Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda insisted on waiting for a final verdict by the Supreme Court. On Sunday, the RSP called a meeting of its central committee and parliamentary party where it decided to recall its ministers. Following this, Lamichhane held a press conference where he delivered a “special message” to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Hindi, asking him not to conduct diplomacy through “agents”. “Modi ji, those who are indulging in loot here in your name, they are not taking Nepal-India relations forward. Please stop trusting the people here who are working as your agents. You must go for a straight dialogue. Please stop those people who claim in Nepal to be the real knower of the Indian line,” he said. “If you really believe Nepal and India deserve a better relationship, please don't depute any middle person, journalist, agent or publisher.” If RSP goes to the extent of withdrawing support, the ruling coalition, which took over on December 26, will have to seek a fresh confidence vote in the House. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” appeared conciliatory on Sunday, requesting the party to reconsider its step. “I will make every effort to save the coalition,” he said. RSP, the third largest party in the Parliament, has 19 members left after Lamichhane’s disqualification. At the press conference, the chairman also launched an attack on media houses, blaming them for the citizenship verdict. The RSP chair was found to have been holding a US passport at the time he contested the election on November 20. “Yes I was holding an American passport, but that was not misused,” he said, adding that he was willing to face any probe and penalty.
