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The Nagarik Unmukti Party has served a 24-hour ultimatum to the government to release its lawmaker Arun Chaudhary. Issuing a statement on Thursday, party spokesperson Damodar Pandit condemned the arrest. Reminding that the Tharuhat protesters and the government had signed an agreement on August 19, 2009 to scrap all kinds of cases, the Nagarik Unmukti Party said that Chaudhary has been contesting all the elections since then. “Chaudhary was not on the run. He has contested local, provincial and federal elections four times since 2009. Why did this issue raised at this moment when he was elected as a federal lawmaker from the Nagarik Unmukti Party?” Pandit questioned. Saying that the arrest of Chaudhary is a discrimination against the Tharu Community, the party has demanded his release within 24 hours. Chaudhary was arrested from Tikapur, Kailali on Thursday. He was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Kailali-2. Chaudhary, who was on the fugitive list of the police, was arrested this afternoon.      

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Bimala Rai Paudyal left Kathmandu for Colombo, Sri Lanka today to attend the 75th Independence Day celebrations of Sri Lanka. The Minister will be participating in the 75th Independence Day functions as an honored guest in Colombo from February 3-4. She will be received by a Sri Lankan lawmaker at Bandaranaike International Airport (Colombo Airport). In Colombo, the Foreign Minister is scheduled to meet her counterpart M.U.M. Ali Sabry and attend the cultural festival ‘LankaraLanka’ to be organized by the Presidential Secretariat in Independence Square on February 3. The Foreign Minister will attend the 75th Independence Day Celebration functions to be organized at Galle Face Green. She will pay courtesy calls on President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena of Sri Lanka, and attend the reception hosted by the President at the President’s House February 4, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Minister is scheduled to return to Kathmandu on February 5.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire has pointed out the need to make the role of the Parliament accountable and effective. Hence, the parliamentarians should play a responsible role in uplifting the dignity of the Parliament, he said. Inaugurating an orientation on 'Parliamentary Procedures and Practices' organized by the Federal Parliament Secretariat today for the members of the House of Representatives, he said that there have been some reports that some of the past parliamentary practices were not responsive to the people and hence it is necessary to make the parliamentary role effective. Mentioning that the government has a role in making the Parliament effective, he said that the government should also coordinate with the opposition parties in this regard. Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan said the parliamentary responsibilities can be fulfilled only with efficient adoption of the parliamentary rules and procedures. The conduct and ideas presented here should be dignified and in accordance with the parliamentary norms. Deputy Speaker Indira Rana said that the role of the Deputy Speaker in the Parliament should be made effective, as people saw it only as a secondary role. She also said that the people's representatives should become accountable towards the people through the parliamentary procedures.

CPN-UML Chairman and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has claimed that the Rastriya Swatantra Party will get the Home Ministry. Speaking to journalists at the Biratnagar Airport on Thursday, Oli asserted that the agreement reached in the coalition should be implemented. He claimed that the Home Ministry will not be given to other parties other than the Rastriya Swatantra Party. Leader Oli made it clear that there has been an agreement between Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and himself on the issue. “It has been agreed to give the Home Ministry to the Rastriya Swatantra Party. But, it is up to the party to choose the minister,” he said, adding, “There is no need to wait for the full text of the Supreme Court for the decision pertaining to the Home Ministry.”