Prime Minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli can stoop any low when it comes to criticising his opponents. Making below-the-belt remarks, blending them with ukhan tukka (proverbs and quips), is his signature style of public speeches, which are often lengthy.

However, Oli’s address at the party’s mass gathering on Friday didn’t follow his common style. Yet he spent a significant chunk of his around 45-minute speech on criticising some individuals and political parties, but not in his fiery manner.

Party’s general secretary Shankar Pokhrel had set a tone for the gathering, which was named “Awakening Rally against Anarchy” by the ruling party, clarifying the allegations levelled against his party and supremo Oli mainly by controversial businessman Durga Prasai.

Prasai, disclosing unsubstantiated documents, claimed that Oli has invested $250 million in a Cambodian telecom company. Police have arrested him, accusing him of making serious allegations with the mala fide intention of defaming the prime minister.

“Our chairperson has said he will provide the money to the person who can establish his investment there,” said Pokhrel, claiming a section is making one after another baseless allegations to defame Oli. He also tried to paint a nationalist picture of his party arguing it has never taken any decision against the national interest which is why conspiracies are hatched against the party to the extent of splitting it.

Oli started his address by trying to justify why the current Nepali Congress-UML coalition was formed and assuring how it will remain intact until the next elections. He claimed that he will remain as prime minister until June 2026 and hand over the premiership to Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba until the next general elections to be held at the end of 2027.

“Let there be no confusion, this coalition is here to stay until the next elections,” he said. “I request you to dispel the rumours that this government will not last longer.”

Oli remarked that he inherited the prime ministerial seat laden with huge state loans, a crisis-ridden national economy, high level of corruption and low-spirited industrialists. Like on every public platform, he reiterated that the ruling coalition was formed to uplift the country from its falling economy, establish good governance, control corruption, promote entrepreneurship and to put it on the path of prosperity.

The UML in July broke its partnership with the CPN (Maoist Centre) to form a government led by Oli. Shattered, the Maoist Centre has been claiming that the two largest parties were worried by its crackdown against the corrupt and criminals. Therefore, leaders from the two parties formed the government to protect their cronies. Maoist leaders spare no opportunity to label the Oli government “corrupt”.

Without naming any party or leader, Oli at the rally dared anyone to argue with the UML with evidence. “I will neither commit corruption, nor will allow anyone to do so,” he reiterated. “It is ironic that those who have amassed billions of rupees, enough for seven generations, are accusing the UML of corruption.”

He devoted some minutes of his speech to lambasting Prasai who accused him of investment in Cambodia. “Anything can be claimed for the sake of claiming. There is 32,000 crores [Rs320 billion] in Cambodia, and as much in the Swiss Bank. You can go and check it. Why just that, half of the deposits in American banks are mine. There is no point making senseless statements,” he said, adding that in modern times checking who has invested in the Cambodian telecom sector is a simple job.

Though he claimed nobody really buys such baseless claims and his party is unbothered about the acts of such a handful of anarchic people, his stress on clarifying Prasai’s claim clearly demonstrated his apprehension. His government has already arrested Prasai, which, according to Oli, is a move against the attempts of the anarchic forces to disrupt social harmony and cohesion.

Rastriya Swatantra Party was another target of Oli. He reiterated that no corrupt individual will be spared and no innocent one will be framed. Criticising the act of holding rallies against the government to oppose the arrest of party president Rabi Lamichhane, Oli said it is shameful to denounce others when “you yourself indulge in fraud”.

“There is enough evidence of fraud in the cooperatives against you. You are deceiving hundreds of people, yet scolding others," said Oli.

Oli used the mass gathering to vent his ire at Nepal Electricity Authority Managing Director Kulman Ghising, claiming that the latter's moves were targeted at discouraging the industrialists.

On a different note, the prime minister defended his decision to visit China before India, calling critics “absurd” and “cowardly” for questioning his diplomatic priorities.

“Where is it written that one must visit a particular country first? Is it in religious texts, the Constitution, or the UN Charter?” Oli asked, while addressing a mass meeting organised by the UML in Kathmandu.

His remarks are directed at former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who suggested in an interview with Indian newspaper The Hindu that Oli was playing the “China card” by prioritising a visit to China over India. Oli’s UML, in a statement earlier, condemned Dahal’s statement.

Oli reiterated Nepal’s commitment to maintaining balanced relations with all neighbours. “We will foster ties with all our neighbours based on mutual respect and equality while safeguarding our sovereignty and national interests,” he said. “We harbour no enmity towards anyone; we have no enemies.”

The prime minister also expressed his confidence in the success of his upcoming visit to the north. “This is not a casual trip. I will personally report its success upon my return,” Oli said.

The UML might have named the gathering an awakening rally, but neither Oli nor his party leaders made any new remarks on Friday. Though the second largest party had claimed to parade 100,000 supporters, the number was not even a fourth of the planned strength. However, it was enough to obstruct the traffic in most parts of the Capital. People suffered hugely as vehicular movement was disturbed throughout the day due to the rallies and the gathering.