KATHMANDU, July 14: Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party Whip Nishkal Rai on Tuesday questioned whether Prime Minister Balendra Shah was still the same leader who once lamented that "Garibko chameli bolidine kohi chhaina" ("There is no one to speak for the poor"), accusing his government of growing increasingly authoritarian.
Speaking during a meeting of the House of Representatives, Rai alleged that the government was stifling criticism and curbing freedom of expression.
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"The government is trying to establish that Prime Minister Balendra Shah cannot be questioned," Rai said. "It is sending a message to the public that he stands above the Constitution and the laws of the country, and that no one has the right to question him, even within the constitutional and legal framework."
Referring to the Gen Z protesters who had earlier taken to the streets demanding freedom of expression, Rai said they were now facing police batons under the very government they had supported.
"The same Gen Z that occupied the streets demanding freedom of expression is now being beaten with batons by the government it chose," he said. "The same young people who demanded the right to ask questions are now being denied that right. Questioning is gradually being prohibited, and the government is becoming increasingly authoritarian."
