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Arrest of Ex-PM KP Oli Triggers Mass Protests (Image Source: Dynamite News)
New Delhi: The political atmosphere in Nepal has heated up once again. Former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has recently been arrested. He is accused of negligence in failing to restrain the actions of security forces during the massive protests that took place in 2025—a failure that resulted in the loss of many lives, reports Dynamite News correspondent.
A report by an investigative commission stated that K.P. Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak failed to take the necessary steps to prevent the violence at the time.
According to the report, this failure on their part could be construed as "criminal negligence." Based on this premise, both individuals were arrested, although formal charges have not yet been framed against them.
Following the arrest, hundreds of people took to the streets to demonstrate in support of Oli while chanting slogans such as "Release Oli" and demanding the annulment of the investigative commission's report.
However, to prevent the protestors from approaching the old Parliament building, which had been set ablaze during the violence last year, the police took swift action and deployed heavy security.
In September 2025, large-scale protests erupted across Nepal under the name of Gen Z protests. The unrest began when the government of KP Oli put a ban on the use of social media but quickly spread nationwide.
The Nepalis were already disgruntled due to economic hardships and growing resentment toward the government. The protests escalated to such an extent that the Parliament building and several government offices were set on fire. This violence claimed the lives of at least 76 people and ultimately led to the collapse of K.P. Sharma Oli's government.
The 74-year-old Oli is in poor health; consequently, he was presented before the court via a video link directly from the hospital. The court has extended his custody by another five days.
His lawyers have filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding his immediate release.
Balendra Shah has recently taken the oath of office as Prime Minister. This marks the formation of a new government following the first elections held in the aftermath of the 2025 movement.
The entire sequence of events makes it evident that Nepali politics remains unstable, and the situation has not yet returned to complete normalcy.
The arrest of the former Prime Minister in Nepal has once again heightened political tensions. While judicial proceedings are underway on one front, protests by his supporters are simultaneously intensifying on the other. The situation could become even more critical in the days ahead.
