How Former PM Deuba and Wife Obtained Diplomatic Passports on a Public Holiday

Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, ex-Foreign Minister Arju Rana, received diplomatic passports on Constitution Day (September 19, 2025 / 3 Ashoj), raising questions on social media about how the passports were issued during a public holiday.

The controversy comes after their residence in Budhanilkantha was vandalized and set on fire on September 10, 2025 (24 Bhadra), during which the couple was reportedly beaten. They were rescued by the Nepal Army around 9:30 PM and taken to a military barracks for safety. Congress leaders have stated that the couple’s health is now improving. Meanwhile, the Asset Recovery Investigation Department collected evidence of foreign currency burned during the same incident.

Amid these events, allegations surfaced that the Deuba couple sought treatment abroad in Thailand using the diplomatic passports. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Department confirmed to Kantipur that the couple received diplomatic passports as special office holders, without the need to visit the passport office, through a mobile service.

“We sometimes visit the residences of the President, Prime Minister, and other high officials with mobile kits. These kits can capture photos and other biometric services,” said a Passport Department official. “The former PM and ex-Foreign Minister were also issued passports using the mobile kit.”

Issuance on a Public Holiday

Questions have been raised about why passports were issued on September 19, a public holiday for Constitution Day. An official clarified:

“Passport services fall under essential services. Even on public holidays, we provide limited services. A team was dispatched to capture photos and biometrics for the Deuba couple, who were hospitalized at the time, on humanitarian grounds.”

The Passport Department’s Director General, Teerth Raj Aryal, also confirmed the issuance but declined to provide further personal details:

“Since this involves private citizen information, we cannot comment further. No government directive prohibited the issuance, so it was provided as per rules. Every citizen has a right to a passport unless specifically restricted by an investigative agency.”

Legal and Procedural Context

Under Section 6 of the Passport Act, diplomatic passports can be issued to officials traveling abroad for official duties, based on decisions or recommendations from relevant ministers, constitutional bodies, or secretariats. The Passport Rules 2077 also clearly define eligibility criteria for diplomatic passports.

The fact that the Deuba couple obtained visas for Thailand has also stirred debate, with some alleging that they planned to leave the country. However, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that Nepali holders of diplomatic passports do not require advance visas for Thailand.

“Nepal and Thailand have had an agreement since January 1999 allowing diplomatic and official passport holders visa-free entry for up to 90 days,” the official said. “The Deuba couple is entitled to this facility, though they still obtained visas for travel.”

No response has been provided by Deuba’s secretariat regarding the visa issuance.