KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has strongly criticized opposition parties for demanding the resignation of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, dismissing the calls as unfounded and driven by political motives.

Speaking to the editorial team of Kantipur Media Group after inaugurating the Kantipur Half Marathon on Saturday, PM Oli emphasized that a minister should not be forced to resign over a question raised about a single employee in the Home Ministry.

“There are no official complaints or investigations against the Home Minister,” he said. Oli stated that the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has not recorded any statement in the case, and the involvement of a single employee does not justify holding the minister accountable.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs has thousands of staff. Holding the minister responsible for one unnamed employee’s summons is unreasonable,” he argued.

Mocking the opposition’s stance, Oli likened the demand to an absurd request: “Children may ask for a toy elephant, and you can give it to them. But if they ask to fit a real elephant into a schoolbag, that’s impossible. The same goes for the resignation demand.”

He accused opposition parties of harboring deep dissatisfaction with the government. “They don’t like this government at all,” Oli said. “Soon they might demand the resignation of the entire Cabinet.”

Referring to previous calls for ministerial resignations, Oli pointed out that, in the past, a CIB investigation was at least underway.

“This time, there’s nothing of that sort. They’re behaving as if there’s been a scandal like the 35 kg gold smuggling case, which isn’t the reality here.”

The Prime Minister also appealed to political parties to manage their internal problems without disturbing the public.

“If there are internal rivalries or ambitions, resolve them within the party. Don’t disturb others like noisy neighbors,” he said.