Kathmandu, Nov 20: It is often said that politics has no permanent enemies or permanent friends. UML chair KP Sharma Oli offered a noticeably friendly comment on Durga Prasai on Wednesday, even though Prasai had been showing hostility toward him since leaving the party.

The government arrested Prasai from his Bhaktapur residence around midnight on Monday, saying he had disturbed public order while he was asleep at home. Earlier that afternoon, he had released videos targeting the Gen Z protests and the government, and he was taken into custody that same night.

While he was prime minister, Oli had repeatedly ordered Prasai’s arrest and detention for his remarks. This time, Oli opposed Prasai’s arrest and called for his immediate release. His demand, though, was not out of personal warmth toward Prasai but a political strike at the government led by Sushila Karki.

It was Oli who first helped raise Prasai’s public profile. He had allowed Prasai access to his home, meals and even his bedroom, but their relationship soon fell apart. The so-called grandfather and grandson bond eventually turned bitter.

“Is it forbidden to speak? Even the Human Rights Commission has said no one should be jailed just for speaking,” Oli told a Kathmandu Valley-level gathering. “Durga Prasai released a video. It came out in the afternoon, he was arrested by evening. Does this government have an answer to that video? Does it have a reply for Durga Prasai?”

Referring to the Simara incident, Oli also criticised the government, saying that a government incapable of ensuring safe movement for political parties was in no position to talk about elections.

People’s News Monitoring Service