KATHMANDU: Former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has denied that his government issued shoot-to-kill orders during the ‘Gen Z’ protests on September 8, which left at least 19 people dead on the first day of the agitation. The CPN-UML chairman instead attributed the tragedy to infiltrators.
“The government did not order firing on the demonstrators,” Oli said in a statement released on Nepal’s Constitution Day.
He added, “The bullets that struck the protesters came from automatic weapons, which were not in police possession. This matter must be thoroughly investigated.”
Oli claimed that the protests, initially peaceful, were disrupted by “infiltrators” who escalated the violence, resulting in the deaths of young participants.
Expressing sorrow over the loss of life, he called for an inquiry into the incident.
He also highlighted the aftermath of the protests, noting, “After I resigned, the Singhdurbar Secretariat and Supreme Court were set ablaze, Nepal’s map was burned, and several key government buildings were damaged.”
Oli refrained from delving into the alleged conspiracies, stating, “I don’t wish to elaborate on the plots behind these events; time will reveal the truth.”
Recalling the country’s earlier challenges, he said, “The Constitution was promulgated amid a border blockade and threats to our national sovereignty.”
He urged Nepalis of all generations to unite, “to confront assaults on our sovereignty and defend our Constitution.”
Oli resigned on September 9, after hundreds of protesters entered his office demanding his resignation following the deaths of at least 19 people in police action during the demonstrations on September 8.
In total, 72 people—including three policemen—lost their lives during the violent protests over alleged corruption and a social media ban on September 8 and 9.
