Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has decided to quit the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government.

The party decided to leave the government after Prime Minister Dahal refused to re-appoint party president Rabi Lamichhane as the Home Minister.

Lamichhane was stripped of his lawmaker status following a verdict by the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court on January 27 which stated that the citizenship certificate he produced to contest the parliamentary election was invalid. He also lost his ministerial portfolio and the presidency of the party because one needs to be a Nepali citizen to hold those positions.

Later on January 29, Lamichhane reacquired his Nepali citizenship which had become invalid automatically after he acquired American citizenship in 2014.

Lamichhane was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister on December 26.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party led by journalist-turned-politician Lamichhane won 20 seats in the federal polls, making its fourth largest force in the parliament.

Minister for Education, Science and Technology Shishir Khanal informed that the central committee meeting of the party held at the party office in Basundhara on Sunday decided to quit the government.

According to the party leaders, even though the ministers have been called back, the party has decided to continue support given to the government.

With the decision, Minister Khanal, Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Dol Prasad Aryal and Minister of State for Health and Population Toshima Karki, who were in the Dahal-led Cabinet, will vacate their posts.

Ministers Khanal and Aryal and State Minister Karki had taken the oath of office and secrecy on January 3.