Nepal’s former Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli on Saturday alleged that the large-scale destruction of public and private property during the Gen-Z protests in early September was the result of a long-prepared conspiracy aimed at destabilising the state and dismantling the country’s constitutional order.
The protests, which erupted on September 8 over a ban on social media and widespread corruption, quickly escalated following a violent police crackdown that left 20 people dead on the first day. In the days that followed, government complexes, private buildings, police posts, hotels, malls and even parts of Singha Durbar, the nation’s main administrative hub, were damaged or burnt. According to a government-appointed committee, 77 people died during the unrest and property worth NPR 84.45 billion was destroyed. The movement eventually toppled Oli’s government, paving the way for an apolitical administration led by Sushila Karki.
Addressing the 11th General Convention of the CPN (UML), Oli questioned whether the violence was merely the outburst of dissatisfied youth or part of a “bigger game” aimed at creating chaos and eroding the state’s foundations. He said that while the demands for open social media, anti-corruption measures and good governance were legitimate, the protests were infiltrated by interest groups that incited arson, breached restricted zones and manipulated peaceful demonstrators for their own agendas.
Oli also reiterated that the dissolution of the House of Representatives in September was unconstitutional and accused the current government of lacking seriousness in preparing for the March 5 election. He argued that instead of fostering trust and ensuring a free environment for political activities, the government was imposing restrictions and filing cases against political actors.
The party’s General Convention will also elect new leadership, with Oli and Senior Vice-President Ishwor Pokharel vying for the chairmanship, supported respectively by different party factions.
