Why K. P. Sharma Lost His Premiership

Nepal’s former Prime Minister, K. P. Sharma Oli, has claimed that he lost his premiership because he challenged India on sensitive issues.

On Wednesday, 10 September, Oli sent a letter to the General Secretary of his own party, directly blaming India for his removal from power.

A day earlier, on Tuesday, 9 September, Oli was forced to resign amid Gen-Z protests. Rumours spread that he had fled the country, but he remains in Nepal, currently staying at the Shivapuri military barracks.

Oli stated: “Had I not raised questions regarding the Lipulekh region, and had I not spoken about Ayodhya and Lord Ram, I might have remained in power. I lost my position because I opposed the claim that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya.”

The dispute between India and Nepal centres on the Lipulekh mountain pass, rooted in the territorial conflict over the Kalapani region.

• Under the Treaty of Sugauli (1816), the boundary between the two countries was determined by the origin of the Kali River.
• Nepal’s claim: The river originates at Limpiyadhura, north-west of Lipulekh. Based on this, both Kalapani and Lipulekh are Nepalese territory.
• India’s claim: The river begins near Kalapani village, and thus the area belongs to India’s Uttarakhand state. 

During Oli’s premiership, his government adopted a firm stance, declaring: “Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani, east of the Mahakali River, are inseparable parts of Nepal.”

Following this declaration:

• Nepal urged India to halt road construction and commercial activities in the disputed region.
• Nepal even informed China that the territory was theirs.
• India, however, rejected Nepal’s request, arguing that it had been trading with China through Lipulekh since 1954.

In July 2020, Oli sparked major controversy by claiming that Lord Ram was born in Nepal, not India.

He argued:

• The real kingdom of Ayodhya was located in eastern Birgunj, Nepal, not in India.
• India, according to him, had “fabricated another Ayodhya.”
• He questioned: “If Lord Ram was born in India, how did he marry Sita of Janakpur, Nepal? In ancient times, marriages were not conducted across such distant places.”

Oli further remarked: “We hold a misconception that Sita married an Indian Ram. But Ram was not Indian; he was Nepalese. How could Ram have travelled from Uttar Pradesh in India to Janakpur to wed Sita, when in ancient times long-distance marriages were unheard of? There were no telephones either, so how could they have communicated? Back then, marriages took place between neighbouring kingdoms, not across distant lands.”

These statements provoked widespread criticism in India, adding fuel to the already tense diplomatic relations.

At a Glance: Oli’s Contentious Statements

Source: India Today