Nepal: Former Home Minister gave clarification in Gen-ji protest investigation, said- did not give order to open fire!

Nepal’s former Home Minister Ramesh Lalkar appeared before the high-level inquiry commission formed to investigate the violence and atrocities during Gen-Z protests on 29 December 2025 and recorded his testimony.

The protests took place in September, resulting in the deaths of 77 people, allegedly due to excessive use of force.

The author told the commission that he had given instructions to the security agencies a day before the protests to ensure that there were no casualties and that minimum force was used.

The author, who was then the Home Minister in the coalition government of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, is accused of allowing the use of excessive force during the Gen-Ji rebellion.

The inquiry commission formed by the current Sushila Karki’s interim government to probe the incidents of September 8 and 9 during the Gen-Ji movement has already recorded the statements of the chairmen of security agencies and senior administrative officials.

As part of the investigation, the commission summoned the former home minister author. Commission officials have said that they are planning to summon former Prime Minister Oli as well.

Testifying before the commission of inquiry set up to investigate the incidents, the author claimed in a written reply to the commission that he had not issued any written or verbal order to use force against the protesters.

“No law empowers the Home Minister to issue instructions for the use of force,” he said.

The author said that he had instructed the security agencies a day before the Gen-ji protest to ensure that there were no casualties and that no situation was created that could lead to the death of any person. According to him, during the Central Security Committee meeting held on September 7, no decision was taken to use more force.

“I had also instructed the security agencies to remain vigilant against infiltrators,” the author said.

He blamed certain groups for hijacking the peaceful Zen Ji movement and turning the protests violent, leading to the death of many youth on September 8.

He reiterated his claims while speaking to reporters after appearing before the commission on Monday.

During the Gen-Ji movement, several government institutions—including buildings inside the Singhadharbar, the main administrative center of the Government of Nepal, the Supreme Court, several government offices across the country, police posts, homes of political leaders, and properties of several business companies—were destroyed. It was vandalized and set on fire. After the killing of protesters on the first day of the movement, these properties were targeted on the second day.

“In fact, it was a well-planned conspiracy. It was a premeditated attack against the country and democracy,” the author claimed, and demanded that those responsible for the disaster be punished.

The commission is preparing to record the statement of former Prime Minister Oli. Meanwhile, the former PM, adamant on his stand, has said that he will not testify before the commission because the investigating body is one-sided.

In a television interview last week, the former prime minister said, “The interim prime minister and the chairperson of the commission (Gauri Bahadur Karki) have taken my name and said that so and so should be done to me. Why should I make a statement when they have already given the result?”