19th July 2025, Kathmandu
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is systematically engaging in a series of “political vendettas” against opposition leaders, a campaign that began with Rabi Lamichhane and could extend to Arzu Rana Deuba.
Political Witch Hunt?
This serious accusation comes from Barshaman Pun Ananta, Deputy General Secretary of the CPN (Maoist Centre), who labeled Oli an “authoritarian, arbitrary, and revenge-driven leader.”
Speaking at a party event in Kathmandu on Saturday, Pun detailed Oli’s alleged tactics, claiming the Prime Minister is leveraging state power and legal mechanisms to weaken and dismantle rival political parties.
Targeting Rabi Lamichhane and the RSP
According to Pun, Oli’s “retaliatory actions” commenced with Rabi Lamichhane, President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Pun explicitly accused Oli of orchestrating Lamichhane’s arrest in connection with cooperative fraud cases, with the primary objective of “dividing the Rastriya Swatantra Party.” He suggested this move was a calculated effort to destabilize a rising political force.
Pressuring Congress and Unified Socialist Leaders
Pun further alleged that Oli’s strategy extends to other key opposition figures. He claimed that Oli is attempting to forcefully merge parties into his CPN-UML, citing the case against Unified Socialist Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal as an example of legal pressure.
The Congress leader and current Foreign Minister, Arzu Rana Deuba, is also reportedly in Oli’s crosshairs. Pun asserted, “If the Congress alliance starts to become slightly active, he [Oli] is planning to file a case against Arzu Rana in some way. He’s been threatening Congress leadership, claiming it’s now the turn of Arzu and her family.” Pun highlighted past attempts to implicate Congress leaders like Ramesh Lekhak (in the visit visa scam) and Mohan Bahadur Basnet (in the Teramax procurement case) as a means to pressure Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Splitting the Janata Samajbadi Party
The Deputy General Secretary also stated that Oli has been actively working to split the Janata Samajbadi Party led by Upendra Yadav, to bring a faction under the UML’s influence.
This, Pun argued, is part of a broader strategy to “weaken opposition parties by filing cases against their top leadership, dissolving their structure, or merging them into UML.”
Broader Strategy of Control
Pun elaborated on Oli’s perceived grand strategy: “He imprisoned Rabi Lamichhane to break his party, and he plans to jail extremist royalists like Durga Prasai and Rabindra Mishra. Rajendra Lingden has been persuaded not to protest, Madhav Nepal is being pressured through legal means, and Upendra Yadav’s party is being broken to absorb a faction.”
Allegations Against Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”
Pun also revealed that Oli had allegedly attempted to “trap” Maoist Center Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” a year prior, utilizing agencies like the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), the Department of Money Laundering Investigation, and the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
When these efforts yielded no results, Pun claimed Oli then targeted Prachanda’s former personal assistant, Bikesh Shrestha, a fact he asserted was “already confirmed.” Pun suggested that Oli only backed down when Prachanda demanded investigations into major corruption scandals.
“Authoritarian” Tendencies and a Wasted Year
Drawing on their three years of collaboration during the unified NCP, Pun stated that he and his party colleagues are “well aware” of Oli’s “authoritarian and arbitrary tendencies.” He emphasized that the CPN (Maoist Centre) is not fighting against the UML as a whole, but rather against a “small extremist and authoritarian group under Oli’s flag,” asserting, “We are not afraid because we have done nothing wrong. Unlike other parties, Oli cannot sabotage and split the Maoist Centre.”
Concluding his remarks, Pun criticized the Oli-led government’s one-year tenure as “wasted,” describing it as a period “filled with corruption and disorder.” He highlighted recent instances of ministerial resignations due to alleged bribery, claiming, “This government has done nothing but feed middlemen in the last year.”
For more: Political Witch Hunt