Nepal's previous Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Friday claimed that the automatic guns employed on the first day of Gen-Z protests on September 8, which left 19 people dead, were not with the police.
Oli, who stepped down on September 9 after violent street protests against his government, claimed that his government had not given permission for direct firing at protesters. "The use of automatic weapons not in the possession of police needs to be investigated," he stated.
The ex-Prime Minister asserted that the deaths resulted due to violence inflicted by conspirators who had penetrated the protests. He pointed out, "Never in the previous movements, so many people were killed on a single day."
Police reports show that at least 72 individuals have died in relation to the Gen-Z protest actions, including those found at the Bhatbhateni Supermarket, which was torched by protesters.
Oli hinted that the attacks by arson on major government locations—such as Singh Durbar, the parliament building, the judiciary (Supreme Court and other courts), business entities, and political party offices—were conspiratorial in nature. He added that political leaders' and cadres' residences were attacked.
Oli’s own residence in the Balkot area of Bhaktapur, around four kilometres from Kathmandu, suffered significant damage in an arson attack. The homes of other former Prime Ministers, such as Sher Bahadur Deuba, Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), and Jhalanath Khanal, were also attacked.
During the unrest, Oli took shelter behind the Nepal Army. He removed himself from army protection on Thursday and allegedly moved to a rented home in the Gundu section of Bhaktapur, approximately 12 kilometres from Kathmandu.
Oli has been subject to widespread criticism over the country's decline under his rule. Critics say he tried to portray a vision of national success during his time in office while facing several corruption scandals, some of which involved him allegedly.
Following Oli’s resignation, a new apolitical government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki has been formed, tasked with conducting parliamentary elections within six months. The next elections for the House of Representatives are scheduled for March 5.
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