KATHMANDU: The ruling Nepali Congress has stated that it cannot take responsibility for recent controversial remarks made by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, particularly his call to “occupy Kathmandu” on Republic Day.
Speaking to the media after a meeting of party office bearers and former officials held at President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s residence in Budhanilkantha on Monday morning, Nepali Congress spokesperson Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat clarified the party’s position.
“We do not endorse any statement made by the Prime Minister that incites control or occupation. We firmly stand for peaceful expression within the constitutional framework,” said Mahat.
Dr. Mahat reiterated the Congress’s commitment to democratic values, stating that everyone should have the right to protest and express their views peacefully and constitutionally.
Commenting on the ongoing ‘visit visa’ controversy, Mahat further defended Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, asserting that Lekhak is not under investigation and therefore does not need to resign.
Prime Minister Oli had made headlines on Sunday during the inauguration of a training program for elected ward chairs from Bagmati Province, where he instructed CPN-UML cadres to prepare to counter the planned protests by pro-monarchy groups on Republic Day.
“These so-called royalists are nothing more than opportunists,” Oli had said. “They are not fighting for any noble cause but for petty interests.”
Oli questioned the credibility of royalist slogans like “Our King, Our Nation is dearer than life,” asking why such loyalists remained silent during the 2001 royal massacre at Narayanhiti Palace. He urged UML members to mobilize in full force, emphasizing that Kathmandu must come ‘under UML’s control’ between 11 am and 2 pm on May 29.
“There’s no protocol in a protest,” PM Oli said. “Everyone must act in unison. Once instructions come, be ready. Start preparing the moment you leave this program.”
The Nepali Congress’s disavowal of Oli’s statement adds to growing tensions, as monarchist groups and civil society prepare for demonstrations demanding the restoration of a constitutional monarchy and a Hindu state.
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