At least 72 people, including three policemen, were among the dead during the violent protests against alleged corruption and a ban on social media on September 8 and 9.
Nepal ‘Gen Z’ group, whicg spearheaded the recent protests against the government, has listed two demands – the arrest of deposed prime minister K P Sharma Oli and then home minister Ramesh Lekhak over their alleged role in a shootout that killed 19 people during the anti-government protests on September 8 and the formation of a high-level probe commission to investigate the wealth of all high-ranking leaders and government officials since 1990. Oli quit on September 9 shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office demanding his resignation.
Addressing a press conference at Sambad Dabali, Dr Nicholas Bushal, one of the advisers to the Gen Z group that spearheaded the protests, said Oli, Lekhak and Chief District Officer of Kathmandu Chhabi Rijal should be arrested immediately as they were directly responsible for the shootout at Naya Baneshwor in which 19 activists were killed.
Separately, the Gen Z activists also organised a sit-in demanding Oli and Lekhak’s arrest at Maitighar Mandala near Singhdurbar Secretariat in Kathmandu, from where they started their protest rally on September 8.
At least 72 people, including three policemen, were among the dead during the violent protests against alleged corruption and a ban on social media on September 8 and 9.
No Shooting Orders Given, Says Deposed PM Oli; Calls For Probe
However, Nepal’s former prime minister KP Sharma Oli on Friday denied that he had given any shooting orders during the Gen Z demonstrations, saying bullets were fired at protesters from automatic guns that the police did not possess and called for a probe into the matter.
In his first public statement since his ouster, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) chairman blamed the infiltrators for the violence during the “peaceful protest” by Gen-Z. “The government didn’t order to shoot at the demonstrators,” 73-year-old Oli said in a message issued on the occasion of Constitution Day.
“The bullets were fired at the protesters from automatic guns, which were not possessed by the police personnel, and this must be investigated,” Oli said.
Normalcy Returns To Nepal
There have been signs of normalcy gradually returning to Nepal after days of turmoil. Curfew restrictions were eased as Karki was sworn-in as the country’s interim prime minister. The Army has also scaled back its presence, markets have reopened and traffic has resumed.