CPN (Maoist Center) lawmaker Kalpana Miya Kusari has attacked Kiran Kumar Sah, chairman of the Women and Social Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, with a microphone and nameplate.
During a committee meeting held on Wednesday at the committee’s office in Singha Durbar, Kusari threw a nameplate and microphone at Sah.
Sah raised the issue that Kusari arrived late to the meeting and began speaking without permission, which led to a heated exchange between them.
“She arrived late and started speaking without permission. She threw the microphone. Thankfully, it didn’t hit me; it went toward the other lawmakers. She was trying to raise an issue about an inspection visit. But when the meeting was about to conclude, she reacted very angrily,” Sah said. “The issue was about inspection of old age homes, juvenile correction centers, and orphanages housing women, children, and senior citizens.”
Kusari, however, claimed that Sah always appoints himself as the coordinator for inspection visits, takes his son along as his personal secretary, and gets empty bills approved during such visits.
She alleged that the chairman has been discriminating against her ever since she and two other lawmakers went to Birgunj after concluding inspection visits to Bara, Parsa and other districts last year.
Kusari further claimed that most committee members are dissatisfied with Chairman Sah.
“I did throw the microphone and nameplate at him, but it didn’t hit him. It came to a point in the meeting where it was ‘either you stay or I stay,’” Kusari said. “The speaker has summoned us after the altercation in the meeting. Now, either I will not stay in that committee, or the chairperson must be removed.”
She accused Chairman Sah of treating women lawmakers with disdain.
“He goes on every inspection visit as the coordinator. Everyone including the PSO is there. He doesn’t hold meetings on issues,” Kusari said. “He goes on trips outside collaborating with NGOs and INGOs.”
Kusari said that she had informed the speaker about Chairman Sah’s behavior in the past as well.
