Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife and former foreign minister Arju Rana took diplomatic passports on the day of Constitution Day on October 3, which has heated up the social debate. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Passports has not officially said anything about when and how the Deuba couple got their passports.

On August 24, the Deuba residence in Budhanilkanth was vandalized and burnt and the couple was beaten up. The Nepalese army rescued the Deuba couple at around 9:30 pm and took them to the camp. Congress leaders have said that their health is improving. Meanwhile, the Money Laundering Investigation Department has collected evidence of various foreign currencies that were burnt from the Deuba residence last week.

For that reason, they have been accused of trying to escape to Thailand under the pretext of treatment by taking passports. Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Passports in a conversation with Kantipur confirmed that the Deuba couple received diplomatic passports and responded that as special officials, they were provided with mobile services without calling them at the office.

We sometimes go to the residence of the President, Prime Minister and other high-ranking officials with mobile kits. The mobile kit can provide personal services like taking photos and other biometrics', an official of the passport department said, 'Passports were also provided to former Prime Minister Deuba and former foreign minister Ran using the mobile kit.' Even though public services were closed due to Constitution Day, how come passports were issued on that day? In this question, an official of the foreign ministry gave an explanation and said, "Because passports are under essential services, we have provided limited services even on public holidays." According to that, a team was deployed to take photos and biometrics of the Deuba couple on October 3,'' said the officer, 'as both of them are undergoing treatment at the hospital, it was decided on humanitarian grounds.'

Passport Department Director General Tirtharaj Aryal also confirmed that the Deuba couple got passports. "As it is related to the personal details of Nepali citizens, we cannot say anything more," he said, "We do not give personal details even to family members." He said that no information or instructions have come from the higher authorities of the government regarding whether or not Aryal will be given a passport. "The passport was issued because no such information was received," he said. 

Aryal says that passports may have been printed on public holidays as they fall under essential services. "First of all we look at the documents to see if a person is eligible for a passport. We don't know the background of a person based on the document itself. Therefore, in some cases criminals also get passports. However, if an investigating agency sends a written request not to issue a passport, then we will not issue a passport to such a person," said Aryal, "otherwise, a passport is the right of every citizen. In the case of the Deuba couple, no agency has written to us that they are criminals and are not eligible for passports. Aryal said that the data bank should be checked for details such as the date the Deuba couple applied for a passport, who went to collect the details. 

Section 6 of the Passport Act provides that the department shall issue diplomatic passports to officials traveling abroad for government work or special work in accordance with the decision (or recommendation) of the concerned minister, constitutional body or secretariat. Similarly, the passport regulations-2077 have also clarified the necessary qualifications for diplomatic passports.

Deuba couple's visa for Thailand has caused more controversy. They are being criticized on social media for taking that visa to flee the country. According to an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepalese diplomatic passport holders do not need an advance visa to visit Thailand. 

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an agreement was reached between Nepal and Thailand in January 1999 to exempt diplomatic and official passport holders from the need for advance visas. According to the agreement, citizens of the two countries holding such passports are granted visa exemption for a maximum of 90 days in each other's country. And, the Deuba couple gets that facility. Even if they have that facility, are they applying for a visa? Deuba's secretariat did not respond to this matter.

related news:

The delay in asset laundering to investigate the burnt money