KATHMANDU: Speaker Devraj Ghimire has voiced concern over claims made by Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) MPs Sobita Gautam and Sumana Shrestha, who stated that they were denied the chance to speak in the House.

According to a statement from his personal secretariat, the Speaker emphasized that the parliamentary proceedings were being conducted according to regulations, and allegations regarding the issue were being spread outside of Parliament.

The dispute started when MP Sobita Gautam requested emergency time on February 10 to discuss a bill passed on February 9.

The Speaker rejected the request, explaining that once a bill is passed, it no longer qualifies as an emergency issue.

Prior to the bill’s consideration, discussions had already taken place with the Law Minister, Deputy Speaker, and chief whips of five major parties. However, RSP MPs maintained that the process had been disrupted.

On February 17, MP Sumana Shrestha approached the Speaker just before the session began, requesting time to address the issues faced by Nepali students in India.

However, Speaker Ghimire, who had just entered the meeting room, responded that he was not aware of the issue and advised her to inform Chief Whip Ashok Chaudhary, who had already been allotted speaking time, or to raise the matter the following day.

The Speaker’s secretariat clarified that if the issue was truly urgent, it could have been submitted to the Deputy Speaker, who was presiding at the time.

The secretariat also expressed concerns about what they described as an attempt to create pressure through the media and social media, bypassing established parliamentary procedures.

Furthermore, it was noted that before each session, 20 to 30 MPs approach the Speaker’s office requesting emergency time, but only 8 to 10 are granted the opportunity to speak.

The Speaker’s office concluded that there has been growing concern within the parliamentary administration regarding MPs seeking time for matters that do not meet the criteria for emergency discussions.