‘Groundless govt’: Ex-Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli missing from spotlight — Will he flee? His response

KP Sharma Oli (ANi)

Nepal’s former Prime Minister and CPN-UML chairman KP Sharma Oli has publicly dismissed speculation that he plans to leave the country, accusing the Sushila Karki-led government of attempting to strip him of his security and official entitlements amid ongoing political tension, reported news agency ANI.Addressing a gathering of Yuwa Sangh Nepal, the youth wing of his party, in Gundu, Bhaktapur, Oli declared, “Do you think we will flee by handing over the nation to this groundless government?” He said he remained committed to restoring “peace, good governance and constitutional order”, as quoted by the agency. Oli’s remarks come weeks after the fall of his government on September 9, which followed large-scale Gen Z-led protests. Since vacating the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar, Oli has relocated to a rented house in Gundu, following an arson attack on his private residence in Balkot by protestors.The CPN-UML chief alleged that the current administration lacked democratic legitimacy and was formed through “vandalism and arson”, not the people’s mandate.Challenging the government to disclose any communication he had with state authorities during the protests, Oli said, “Publish them with courage. Make public the instructions I gave.” He denied any wrongdoing and questioned the basis of efforts to link him to the violent unrest.He also raised concerns over reported threats to his safety and criticised the government for inaction. “On social media, there are open calls to attack my residence. What is the government doing? Just watching?” he asked.The former PM expressed strong objection to reports that the government was planning to withhold passports of several political leaders, including himself, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Arzu Rana Deuba, Ramesh Lekhak, and Deepak Khadka.Oli accused the ruling dispensation of creating a climate of insecurity and targeting opposition leaders. “This government is throwing the country into insecurity,” he alleged.Meanwhile, a recent monitoring report by Nepal’s national human rights commission (NHRC) blamed the previous government, led by Oli and then-home minister Ramesh Lekhak, for failing to anticipate the scale of the Gen Z protests. The NHRC said that while the initial demonstrations on September 8 were peaceful, the use of excessive force by security personnel on September 9 led to dozens of deaths and widespread violence.Rights groups have held Oli and Lekhak accountable for the crackdown, which played a key role in the fall of their administration. The NHRC report highlighted poor coordination, declining morale among security forces, and inadequate preparation as contributing factors to the high casualties.