Former Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Saturday made his first public appearance days after resigning as the Himalayan nation’s premier following the Gen Z protests.
Oli, who is also the chairperson of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), attended a public event organised by the Rashtriya Yuwa Sangh, the student wing of the CPN-UML, in Bhaktapur.
His appearance at the gathering is widely viewed as a strategic attempt to reconnect with the party’s youth wing, which has been critical of how he handled the recent wave of protests.
The former prime minister defended his actions, insisting that his government never authorised police to shoot demonstrators. He also criticised those who vandalised public property during the agitation, saying the destruction was carried out “deliberately.”
“What does the government of publicity think? That we will hand over this country and flee abroad? We have to make this country. We must make this country constitutional, democratic, and bring its politics back on track. We will bring the rule of law to the country,” Oli, 73, told the audience.
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He accused political rivals of spreading baseless allegations against him. “A rumour has been spread further naming me. People are incited to say, give me a gun, I will kill him; give me a sword, I will slaughter him; give me a drone, I will strike him... These things are being broadcast enthusiastically. But what role did I play?” he said.
At least 74 people, mostly youth, were killed during the protests, which began after the government ordered a ban on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube. Though the order was later revoked, demonstrations escalated, leading to the collapse of the Oli government.
Protesters demanded transparency and sweeping reforms, with some vandalising government institutions such as the Singha Durbar, the Nepali Supreme Court, the Federal Parliament and the Sheetal Niwas.
In the aftermath, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was appointed interim prime minister. Karki has pledged to hold “free and fair” elections by 5 March next year and announced that her government amended the election law through an ordinance, lowering the voting age to include citizens aged 18 and above.
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