KATHMANDU: The CPN-UML has convened an emergency Secretariat meeting to decide the party’s official stance after Chairman KP Sharma Oli was arrested from his residence on Saturday morning on charges linked to murder.
Secretary Mahesh Basnet stated that the meeting is scheduled for 8:30 am on Saturday. He also announced that the UML will begin street protests starting today.
“The absence of political prisoners has been considered an important indicator of democracy. Nepal was once regarded as a country without political prisoners. However, recent developments raise serious concerns about the political situation in the country,” Basnet wrote on social media.
He criticized the appointment of Home Minister Sudan Gurung, calling him inexperienced, chaotic, and controversial under Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s (Balen) leadership.
“The arrests of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak have escalated political tensions. These actions reflect political vendetta and prejudice. It is unfortunate that the police, who fail to protect government property and their own posts, were deployed in large numbers to arrest leaders who fought for democracy.”
Oli and Lekhak were arrested by police on Saturday morning based on the recommendations of the inquiry commission led by Gauri Bahadur Karki, which investigated the incidents of September 8 and 9, 2025. Both leaders have been taken to the Kathmandu District Police Complex.
The Cabinet meeting held on Friday had decided to implement the commission’s report. The inquiry concluded that 19 young people died due to negligence and carelessness of the then government during the Gen-Z protests on September 8, 2025.
Comment