Oli denies issuing orders to shoot directly at protesters

KATHMANDU: Former Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli has denied issuing orders to shoot directly at youths during the Gen Z protests held on September 8 and 9.

Issuing a statement on Friday on the occasion of the Constitution Day, Oli insisted that the protests had been infiltrated and turned violent.

“Last week’s protest, which was supposed to be peaceful, was infiltrated,” Oli said. “Conspirators incited violence, and in that course, our youths lost their lives. The government did not issue any order to shoot directly at demonstrators.”

The Gen Z protests left 74 people dead. Most of them who died after being shot received bullets in the head and chest. The incident forced Oli to step down as Prime Minister on September 9.

After resigning, he stayed in a military barracks for nine days and is now residing in a rented house in Gundu, Bhaktapur.