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Former Prime Minister of Nepal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has dismissed rumours that he plans to flee the country, accusing the current government of trying to strip him of his security and official privileges, Dhaka Tribune reported.
Speaking at a gathering of the party's youth wing, Yuwa Sangh Nepal, in Gundu, Bhaktapur, Oli made it clear he intends to stay and fight politically. "Do you think we will flee by handing over the nation to this groundless government?" he asked supporters. Oli said he was determined to "restore peace, good governance and constitutional order." Oli recently vacated the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar on September 9 after weeks of Gen Z-led protests culminated in the fall of his government. Since then, he has relocated to a rented home in Gundu after his personal residence in Balkot was set on fire by demonstrators, as per Dhaka Tribune. He accused the Sushila Karki-led administration of lacking legitimacy, claiming it rose to power not through the will of the people but through "vandalism and arson." Oli also challenged the government to make public any communications he had with state officials during the protests. "Publish them with courage. Make public the instructions I gave," he said, suggesting he had nothing to hide. He expressed concern over threats of fresh attacks and criticised the government for failing to ensure his security. "On social media, there are open calls to attack my residence. What is the government doing? Just watching?" he asked. Oli also objected to reports that the government has decided to withhold passports of several leaders, including himself, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Arzu Rana Deuba, Ramesh Lekhak, and Deepak Khadka. The former prime minister accused the Karki government of "throwing the country into insecurity" by targeting political opponents, according to Dhaka Tribune. Oli's government was toppled on the second day of the Gen Z protest. Rights groups have held him and then-Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak responsible for excessive force that left dozens dead during the unrest. A monitoring report by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday said the government's failure to anticipate the intensity of the protests and declining morale of security forces contributed to heavy casualties and damage. It noted that while the first day of protests on September 8 remained peaceful, police shootings triggered widespread violence the following day. (ANI)
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