KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress lawmaker Pratima Gautam has advised Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chair Rajendra Lingden to stop trying to “fish in troubled waters.”

Speaking during the zero hour of Monday’s House of Representatives meeting, she accused Lingden of fabricating a baseless and misleading story to distract from his own misconduct, alleging that the son of a Congress deputy general secretary was involved in a liquor theft incident.

“I am astonished to hear the RPP Chair Rajendra Lingden stand in this dignified Parliament and make an imaginary, misleading, and baseless allegation that the son of a Nepali Congress deputy general secretary was involved in liquor theft,” Gautam said.

“I see this as a continuation of attempts to fish in troubled waters. Is it acceptable to accuse someone without evidence?” she added.

Gautam challenged Lingden to provide evidence for his claims. If he fails to do so, she urged him to withdraw his statement from Parliament and issue a public apology.