Nepal Protest: Gen Z Activists Demand Ex-PM Oli's Arrest

Nepal Protest: In a latest development, Nepal's Gen Z group has demanded the arrest of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and then Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak for their alleged role in the firing during anti-government protests on September 8, which killed 19 people.

In a press conference by Dr Nicholas Bushell, one of the advisors of the 'Gen Z' group leading the protests, said Oli, and Kathmandu Chief District Officer Chhabi Rijal should be immediately arrested as they were directly responsible for the firing in Naya Baneshwor in which 19 activists were killed.

Bushel also demanded the formation of a high-level inquiry commission to investigate the assets of all high-ranking politicians and government officials since 1990. Gen Z activists staged a sit-in at Maitighar Mandala near the Singha Durbar Secretariat here, demanding the arrest of Oli and the writer. 

At least 72 people, including three policemen, were killed during violent protests on September 8 and 9 against alleged corruption and a ban on social media websites. On Friday, former Prime Minister Oli denied that he ordered any firing during the Gen Z demonstration. He also demanded an investigation into the matter.

Former PM's first statement post resignation

In his first public statement since resigning as prime minister, Nepal Communist Party chairman Oli blamed infiltrators for the violence during the "peaceful protests" by Gen-Z. "The government did not order firing on protesters," said, Oli, in a message released on Constitution Day.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (CJI) Prakash Man Singh Raut said on Saturday that the top court had not issued an order banning social media websites. He said the Supreme Court had urged the government to regulate social media websites by enacting necessary legislation, which is a common international practice.

The previous Oli-led government had banned 26 social media sites, citing a Supreme Court order, which was protested by the Gen Z group on September 8. The ban on social media sites was lifted on the night of September 8.