Kathmandu: Nepal’s former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak on Monday told an inquiry commission that he had not issued any order to open fire on protesters during the Gen-Z protests in early September.
According to government statistics, as many as 77 people lost their lives, and public and private property worth more than NPR 84 billion was damaged during the two-day movement.
Lekhak, who served as Home Minister in the coalition government led by former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli at that time, faces allegations of authorising the use of excessive force during the Gen-Z uprising.
The inquiry commission formed by the current Sushila Karki-led government to investigate the September 8 and 9 incidents during the Gen-Z movement has already recorded statements from the heads of security agencies and senior administrative officials.
As part of the investigation, the commission summoned former Home Minister Lekhak. Commission officials have said that they also plan to summon former Prime Minister Oli.
Testifying before the inquiry commission formed to investigate the incidents, Lekhak, in a written response submitted to the commission, claimed that he had not issued any written or verbal order to use force against the protesters.
“No law grants the Home Minister the authority to issue instructions regarding the use of force,” he said.
Lekhak stated that he had instructed the security agencies, a day ahead of the Gen-Z protests, to ensure that no casualties would occur and that no situation would arise that could result in the death of any person.
According to him, during the meeting of the Central Security Committee held on September 7, no decision was taken to use excessive force. “I had also instructed the security agencies to remain vigilant against infiltrators,” Lekhak said.
Instead, he blamed the infiltration of certain interest groups for hijacking the peaceful Gen-Z movement and turning the protests violent, leading to the deaths of several youths on September 8. He reiterated these claims while speaking to journalists after giving his statement to the commission on Monday.
During the Gen-Z movement, several state institutions — including buildings inside Singha Durbar, the main administrative centre of the Nepal government, the Supreme Court, various government offices, police posts across the country, the houses of political leaders, and properties belonging to several business enterprises—were vandalised and set on fire. Following the killing of protesters by police on the first day of the movement, these properties were targetted on the second day.
“It was, in fact, a deliberate conspiracy. It was a planned attack on the nation and on democracy itself,” Lekhak claimed, demanding that those responsible for the destruction be brought to justice.
Even as the commission is preparing to record the statement of former Prime Minister Oli, he has maintained that he will not testify before the commission, claiming that the inquiry body is biased.
In a television interview last week, the former Prime Minister said, “The current Prime Minister and the chairperson (Gauri Bahadur Karki) of the commission have taken my name, stating that such-and-such should be done to me. Why should I give a statement when they have already announced the conclusion?”
(IANS)
