Now Nepal's caretaker PM, contempt cases in Supreme Court over KP Oli's disparaging remark

Two cases of contempt of court have been registered at the Supreme Court against Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli for making disparaging remarks against legal practitioners. According to The Kathmandu Post, two advocates on Tuesday registered the motion against Oli, who now is functioning as the caretaker PM since the Parliament was dissolved on December 20.

Contempt of court case against Oli

"Two cases of contempt of court have been registered by advocates Kumar Sharma Acharya and Kanchan Krishna Neupane," Devendra Dhakal, Information Officer at the Supreme Court said. "After two days, the Supreme Court officials registered my petition today," said Acharya, who had reached the court first on Sunday with the contempt of court petition against Oli.

On January 22, Oli, while addressing his cadres, was defending his House dissolution move. And in doing so, he said that lawyers were arguing ad nauseum despite the fact that the constitution has no provision allowing restoration of the House, the Nepali daily reported.

Oli's 'grandfather' jibe lands him in trouble

Oli had taken a jibe at senior advocate and former chair of Nepal Bar Association, Krishna Prasad Bhandari, saying that the petitioners were giving trouble to a "grandfather" lawyer as well. According to ANI, he called Bhandari's presence at the Supreme Court as "farce". Bhandari had earlier termed Oli's move to dissolve the Parliament as unconstitutional.

The two petitioners, who have lodged the case against Oli in the Supreme Court, have claimed that the caretaker Prime Minister has invoked Article 128 (4) of the Constitution by making such a disparaging statement.

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According to the article: "All must abide by any interpretation of the constitution or a law made by or any legal principle laid by the Supreme Court in the course of trying a lawsuit. If anyone makes obstruction in the dispensation of justice by, or disregard any order or judgment handed down by, it or any of its subordinate courts, the Supreme Court may, in accordance with the law, initiate proceedings and impose punishment for contempt."

The Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court is currently hearing as many as 13 writ petitions against Oli’s December 20 House dissolution move. 

Meanwhile, PM Oli was expelled from the general membership of the Nepal Communist Party by the splinter faction led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Sunday for alleged anti-party activities, further intensifying the infighting within the ruling party.

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(With agency inputs)