Kathmandu, Aug 11: Mahesh Basnet, a leader of CPN-UML, has accused Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Vice Chair Dol Prasad (DP) Aryal of trying to avoid responsibility in a visit visa scandal. Basnet alleged that several individuals who had traveled to South Korea and Denmark on visit visas through Sumire Tours and Travels, linked to Aryal, were found to have stayed back illegally. These individuals reportedly purchased tickets displaying the Nepal Scouts logo and then disappeared abroad.

Posting on social media on Monday, Basnet claimed Aryal was “trying to slip away like water off a duck’s back” despite the controversy. He said the issue raises serious moral questions about RSP’s acting chairperson Aryal, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, and other MPs whose names have come up in the scandal in Parliament.

“This is a very serious moral issue concerning RSP’s acting chairperson DP Aryal and several MPs in connection with the visit visa case that has also put Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak in the spotlight,” Basnet wrote.

According to Nepal Police’s Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau, this came to light during an investigation into the details of citizens sent abroad on visit visas by dozens of travel agencies. The bureau, however, has reportedly tried to keep the matter under wraps. An official from the bureau said Scout representatives have been questioned regarding the case.

People’s News Monitoring Service