KATHMANDU: A Nepal commission has recommended the prosecution of ex-prime minister KP Sharma Oli in connection to the deadly September 2025 uprising that toppled his government, according to a leaked report.

At least 77 people were killed in the anti-corruption youth uprising on Sept 8 and 9, which began over a brief social media ban but tapped into longstanding fury over economic hardship.

Four-time prime minister and Marxist leader Oli, 74, was defeated in the polls this month by the 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, whose Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won in a landslide after promising to oust an ageing elite, stem corruption and fix the economy.

The commission’s recommendations, set out in a report leaked by Nepali media, came ahead of the swearing-in on Thursday of newly elected members of parliament.

Premier-to-be Balendra Shah delivers first message in rap song

Message via a rap song

Nepal’s rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, set to be sworn in as the new prime minister, issued his first post-election message via a rap song on Thursday, urging unity. It comes hours after he swore an oath as a newly elected lawmaker and a day before he is due to become the Himalayan republic’s new prime minister.

“The strength of unity is my national power,” Shah, better known as Balen, sang in the song, which racked up tens of thousands of views within minutes of being released on social media and streaming sites. “Undivided Nepali, this time, history is being made,” he added, singing in Nepali.

The sharply dressed 35-year-old who usually sports trademark dark sunglasses, has emerged as a symbol of youth-driven political change.

Shah has remained silent publicly since his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won the March 5 election in a landslide, the first polls since a deadly youth-led uprising in September 2025 toppled the government.

“My heart is full of courage, my red blood is boiling; my brothers stand with me, this time we will rise,” he sang, over a video of him campaigning for election. “May my breath not run out, I will run like a leopard,” he added.

‘Bright future’

Shortly after his rap song was released, the outgoing interim prime minister bid farewell to the nation in a televised broadcast. Sushila Karki, 73, a former chief justice who had led the caretaker administration for six months, said the country’s future lay in the hands of a younger generation.

“I am confident that the new government to be formed under the leadership of the youth will work towards ending corruption in the country, establishing good governance, creating jobs within the country, economic development and social justice,” she said.

“I am looking forward to the bright future of this country with full confidence — where our unity, honesty and the hard work of every citizen will write a new history,” she added.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2026