Kathmandu, April 17 -- It was an abrupt U-turn. Some of the better known social media users close to the CPN-UML, the biggest party in the ruling coalition, had overnight started criticising Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane over the embezzlement of cooperative funds. Until a day ago, they had been his strong defenders.

The party, which earlier rejected the involvement of Lamichhane in a cooperative fraud case, has now voiced its concern over the potential involvement of a sitting home minister. This happened after a police investigation report on Monday named GB Rai and Lamichhane among those who had misappropriated funds from the Butwal-based Supreme Cooperative.

Based on the findings, the Rupandehi D...