UML protests arrest of Oli and Lekhak, demands immediate release

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, March 28: CPN (UML) has condemned the arrest of its chairman and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, along with Ramesh Lekhak, calling the move “illegal and politically motivated.”

An emergency meeting of the party’s central secretariat, chaired by Vice Chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’, concluded that the arrests go against democratic values and the rule of law. The meeting was held at the party’s central office in Chyasal.

Following the meeting, General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel made public the party’s official stance, stating that the UML has strongly condemned the arrests and demanded the immediate release of both leaders. 

He emphasized that the government’s action contradicts democratic principles and legal norms.

The party also criticized the report prepared by the commission led by Gauri Bahadur Karki, describing it as biased and driven by political revenge. 

UML has called for the formation of a high-level independent investigation committee under a sitting justice of the Supreme Court to ensure a fair probe into the incidents.

Furthermore, the party has urged political parties, civil society, and the general public to unite in safeguarding democracy, the rule of law, and human rights in the country.

According to General Secretary Pokharel, a protest letter will be submitted to the Government of Nepal through district administration offices across the country on Sunday, March 29, in protest against the arrest. Party-affiliated mass organizations will begin protest programs from today.