Kathmandu, Oct. 13 -- The Rastriya Swatantra Party has said it is taking seriously media reports, publicly released audio recordings and questions raised about its lawmaker Khagendra Sunar, following allegations of blackmail, threats and suspicious financial transactions.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, party General Secretary Bipin Kumar Acharya said the allegations against Sunar were serious and sensitive. The party has directed its central disciplinary commission to begin an internal investigation and barred the lawmaker from attending formal public events in his capacity as a public office-holder until the inquiry is completed.

The statement follows a report published by Jana Aastha on Monday under the headline "RSP lawmaker Khage...