Kathmandu: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has remarked that in politics, it is impossible to predict when a leader might end up in jail, pointing to past incidents of politically motivated imprisonment. Speaking at a program organized in Baluwatar on Sunday to present the BP Koirala National Award 2081, Prime Minister Oli said political figures have often been targeted out of “prejudice and revenge.”

Recalling events following the 2001 royal palace massacre, Oli said former King Gyanendra Shah did not officially ban political parties but imprisoned several leaders under the guise of anti-corruption campaigns. “In politics, it is impossible to say when someone will go to jail,” Oli said. “After the palace massacre, King Gyanendra seized power, and even though political parties were not banned in name, leaders were arrested and jailed.”

He further claimed that individuals who left government institutions to support the regime were the ones filing cases and fabricating charges. Highlighting the drama of the era, Oli cited the Royal Commission for Corruption Control's case against former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba as an example of how justice was manipulated under royal rule. “What could be more dramatic than that?” he asked.

The Prime Minister also spoke about the legacy of BP Koirala, emphasizing that Koirala’s contributions had “many dimensions” that continue to shape Nepal’s political values and democratic journey.