RSP lawmaker, Nepal police chief clash puts parliamentary decorum under scrutiny

The confrontation followed a committee discussion concerning a complaint over the purchase of uniforms for election police. Home Secretary Raj Kumar Shrestha, Karki and Armed Police Force chief Narayan Dutta Poudyal had appeared before the committee to respond to the allegations.

During the meeting, Sunar made strong allegations concerning the procurement process and called for a parliamentary investigation. He also demanded that the home secretary and police chiefs be suspended or removed while an investigation was carried out.

“We should investigate it. The discussion will be bitter,” Sunar said. “Serious issues must be discussed in the committee. I stand with the soldiers and the lower classes.”

Sunar subsequently called for former home minister Om Prakash Aryal, Home Secretary Shrestha and Karki to be suspended and removed from their responsibilities pending an investigation.

“If you have a conscience, you should resign,” Sunar said. “If this is a state governed by law, you should be dismissed. This must happen today, right now.”

Karki objected to remarks he said could undermine the reputation of police personnel and the institution. He argued that officials who had served with integrity should not be subjected to unrestricted accusations in a parliamentary forum and said a basic level of decorum was necessary.

Karki also appeared to indicate that complaints could be brought against lawmakers before the committee in response to the allegations.

Shrestha said he was prepared to have his personal and family assets investigated and maintained that he had nothing to fear from an inquiry. Poudyal similarly said the Armed Police Force would cooperate with any investigation.

Sunar left the meeting before its conclusion, saying other lawmakers had been overly accommodating toward the government officials and security chiefs who had been summoned.

The dispute has continued beyond the committee room. Sunar has criticised Karki on social media, arguing that officials cannot avoid scrutiny simply by referring to their uniforms or official ranks.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Sunar said someone had to take the risk of confronting people in positions of power regardless of the consequences. He reiterated his support for police personnel and temporary election police, whom he said largely came from economically disadvantaged families, while alleging serious corruption in spending on items including shoes, socks, underwear and food rations.

“Someone accused in a case should give a statement, not a sermon,” Sunar wrote.

Sunar also posted a message on Wednesday aimed at Karki that altered lyrics from a song written by the police chief, using the revised wording to make corruption allegations against him.

The exchange has therefore developed into a broader discussion about the limits of parliamentary questioning, the protection of institutional integrity and the standards of conduct expected when elected representatives question senior state officials.