KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has defended President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s use of the phrase ‘my government’ while unveiling the policies and programs of the government.

The Prime Minister while talking with reporters on Saturday morning said that dragging the President into controversy was the ridicule of democracy. He added that Heads of State using the phrase was an international practice.

PM Oli said, “It does not mean that it is not others when one says ‘my country’ or my national anthem’. It is not surprising for the Head of the State to say so. There is the practice of saying ‘my government’ by the President while presenting the government’s policies and programs in India and other countries as well,” he said.

“The Presidential post is the most decent and respected post and if the citation of the word ‘my government’, the general and simple practice, is responded with an unusual reaction manifested that we did not understand the system brought by ourselves,” he added.

Use of the phrase by the President had courted criticisms from political leaders and social media users for ‘using the phrase that was used by monarchs in Nepal’.