Bamdev Gautam Writes Open Letter to PM Balen Shah Protesting KP Sharma Oli's Detention

Kathmandu. Former Deputy Prime Minister and NCP Central Committee member Bamdev Gautam has written an open letter to newly appointed Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah, drawing attention to the detention of CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli. While congratulating him on becoming the 43rd Prime Minister of the country after being elected as a member of the House of Representatives, Gautam remarked that the treatment meted out to Oli is wrong from both political and humanitarian perspectives.

He has drawn the Prime Minister's attention, stating that it is inappropriate to keep a 74-year-old, physically unwell leader in custody in a humiliating manner. In his letter, Gautam recalled the Gen-Z movement that took place on Bhadra 23 and 24 and the subsequent political developments.

He mentioned that at that time, there was a coalition government of the Nepali Congress and the UML, and after the death of 19 people, he himself had suggested that the then Prime Minister Oli resign. Gautam argues that Oli also made a positive contribution to the processes leading up to his resignation, the dissolution of the House of Representatives, the nomination of Sushila Karki, and the election on Falgun 21. However, he stated that arresting the same leader early in the morning by surrounding his house without any concrete legal testing or evidence is against democratic practice.

Gautam, who is also a former Home Minister, insisted that in a rule of law, any accusation against a person must first be proven in court, and action should only be taken based on the conclusions of an investigation report. 'Even in countries where the death penalty is given, the convict is asked for their last wish, but here, a style of surrounding the house overnight and arresting without any trial was adopted,' Gautam wrote in the letter.

He has made a special request to the current government to correct this mistake and not to put an elderly and unwell political figure through such hardship. Wishing Prime Minister Balen Shah success in his tenure, Gautam has suggested moving forward in a fair and legally compliant manner.

He has written,

Open letter to the Honorable Prime Minister

Honorable Prime Minister Balendra Shah!

I express my many congratulations and best wishes to you for being elected as a member of the House of Representatives and for taking on the responsibility of the Prime Minister as the executive head of the country.

In this context, I have attempted to give you some attention and suggestions.

No party was able to achieve a single majority in the House of Representatives election held in 2079. A situation arose where a coalition government had to be run under compulsion.

During the Gen-Z movement and the state of repression and national destruction that took place on Bhadra 23 and 24 of this year, there was a coalition government of the Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML) and KP Sharma Oli was the Prime Minister.

On the incident of Bhadra 23, 19 protesters died that same day. After that, many others died in the hospital while injured. As this was becoming a very sad and painful incident, I was one of those who requested KP Sharma Oli that it would be better to resign from the post of Prime Minister. He resigned. After that, the situation arose to dissolve the House of Representatives and nominate Sushila Karki as Prime Minister.

After that, the election was announced for Falgun 21. In all these events, the Honorable President also played a very positive role.

Today you have become the 43rd Prime Minister of Nepal. KP Oliji also has a contribution to the state activities that have been completed peacefully up to today's situation.

Prime Minister,

I want to ask, why are you keeping CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli, who has reached the age of 74, in custody in a humiliating manner? Wouldn't it be better to arrest and take action after all the facts collected to imprison him are proven by the court? According to our legal system and past practices, after the investigation report of any incident is submitted to the government, the relevant body studies and investigates it, and only then does the action process proceed according to the conclusion of such investigation.

Prime Minister!

According to our constitution, no one is given the death penalty. But in other nations of the world, even a person given the death penalty is asked for their last wish. In the case of KP Sharma Oli, the offenses that were or were attempted to be attracted should have been tested first by events, evidence, and law. Without doing so, the style of surrounding the house overnight and arresting early in the morning was wrong. I request you to correct those mistakes. It is not appropriate to put an elderly, physically unwell political person in this level of hardship.

Finally, I express my best wishes again for your successful and effective tenure.

With warm regards,

Bamdev Gautam

- Former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister

- Central Member, Nepal Communist Party