KATHMANDU: CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli strongly pushed back against critics on Thursday, dismissing narrative trends that accuse traditional political parties of exploiting the country and dividing the political landscape into “old” versus “new” forces.

Addressing a program organized in Kathmandu to mark Pushpa Lal Memorial Day, Oli rejected claims that established parties had “devoured” the nation, emphasizing that traditional forces like the Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and Nepali Communist Party earned their standing through decades of sacrifice.

“They say three parties gobbled up everything! Did we devour the country, or did we lay down sacrifices?” Oli questioned, citing major democratic revolutions in 1950, 1975, 1990, and 2006. “Where were these critics when leaders were serving time in prison? Spreading photos with narratives that ‘three parties ate the nation’ is a false construct.”

Oli also criticized the artificial divide being pushed between old and new political entities, warning that it risks tearing families apart between generations.

Drawing parallels with long-standing global political systems—such as the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States—he argued that political parties do not grow “outdated” but continuously evolve to serve the nation.

In a sharp attack on the current administration, the UML chief alleged that state repression today has surpassed the crackdowns of the autocratic Panchayat era.

“Even during the Panchayat regime, there wasn’t such barbarity,” Oli remarked, citing the government’s heavy-handed suppression of party cadres and supporters protesting against political arrests.