Former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has broken his silence on the Nepal Gen Z protests which ousted him from power in September last year, claiming that it was not a spontaneous movement but a “planned coup”.
What did KP Oli say about Nepal Gen Z protests?
In an interview with Russian TV channel RT, Oli noted “similarities” between the anti-government protests in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal, all of which quickly turned violent and resulted in toppling elected governments in their respective countries.
Oli said the threat of such mass protests in Nepal had been brewing for years and admitted that his government “completely failed to read the situation”, claiming that the protests had been planned for years, and were not spontaneous by any means.
Protesters vandalised public property
Talking about September 9, the day he stepped down as the prime minister of Nepal after protesters stormed his office, KP Sharma Oli claimed the agitators did not attack his home, but vandalised a museum containing documents and books.
“It wasn’t my home. I only had one room, it was public property,” Oli claimed, calling the attack “mysterious”, while describing the protesters as “paid and violent”.
Oil further claimed that the violent Gen-Z protests were designed to weaken Nepal’s democratic institutions. “This is not our culture. These protests and violence were designed to weaken our democracy”.
Which country engineered Nepal protests?
Asked which foreign power he believes engineered the Nepal Gen Z protests, KP Oli refrained from naming any country, saying it would take time to determine which country was behind the movement that ousted him from power.
On his close ties with China, Oli denied being close to any single country, asserting he tried building friendships will all neighbouring countries, including India and China.
“I am a supporter of peace. As the country’s Prime Minister, I made friendships with China and India. None of our neighbors are enemies. Our policy is that we will not allow our land to be used against any neighbor,” Oli stated.
‘Will never Nepal’
The Nepalese leader also talked about why he did not flee the country when his office was attacked by protesters, stating “I will never leave Nepal. I have never acted against my country or the Nepalese people and trust them to do the right thing.”
Oli said he moved to another house when the attack took place but the thought of leaving Nepal never crossed his mind.
‘Balen Shah must be held accountable’
In the interview, KP Oli also targeted Gen-Z leader Balen Shah who is set to contest the upcoming Nepal general election. “Its a good thing. He must be held accountable,” Oli said, when asked about Balen Shah floating his own political outfit to contest elections.
KP Sharma Oli quit as the prime minister of Nepal on September 9 last year after hundreds of protesters stormed his office, demanding his resignation following the killing of at least 19 people in police action during Nepal Gen-Z protests on September 8.
General elections in Nepal are scheduled to take place on March 5, 2026.
