Minister Adhikari pledges to accept action if found guilty on Pokhara land

Kathmandu, July 17: In wake of an audio tape making rounds in media and social network sites for some time, implicating two sitting ministers over a machination to usurp a public land in the Pokhara City, a minister has tendered resignation, while another pledged to accept action in case his involvement was proved by the investigation.     

Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Raj Kumar Gupta, resigned from the post after the audio tape went viral. In the audio tape, he is heard in a conversation over a bribery deal which also implicated Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Balram Adhikari.     

Organizing a press conference in the ministry on Thursday, Minister Adhikari expressed why such audio tape was released in a coordinated manner that implicates his family members as well. He asserted that the audio tape dragging him over a disputed land of Pokhara City was intended to assassinate his character. "Efforts are on to assassinate my character while I was working untiringly for the country and people by establishing law and rules in the concerned sector. I demand a genuine investigation on the audio record," he reiterated in the press conference.     

He argued that his ministry had performed very well during his term. But it was condemnable to assail his image, Adhikari added

The Minister also requested the media to bring real stories behind the disputed audio tape. "I'm ready to face any action if I'm found guilty over the issue after investigation," he vowed.     

Both Gupta and Adhikari are the ministers representing the CPN UML.(RSS)