KATHMANDU, Feb 20: A group of students close to the Dahal-Nepal-led faction of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has staged a protest against Prime Minister K P Oli in Biratnagar.

The group of students had gathered at Airport Mode in Kanchanbari to stage a protest against Prime Minister Oli as he was being escorted to the venue of the party’s mass gathering after landing at Biratnagar Airport.

The agitating students chanted strong slogans against Prime Minister Oli. They also accused him of staging a constitutional coup by dissolving the House of Representatives (HoR).

The protestors were immediately dispersed by the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force (APF) personnel deployed there. Security has been beefed up in Biratnagar after the arrival of Prime Minister Oli to address the gathering organized by his faction of the NCP.

The faction has claimed to bring as many as 200,000 people to the regional event, which is being organized at an open space near Birat Nursing Home. Prime Minister Oli, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, former House Speaker Subash Chandra Nembang, and Province 1 Chief Minister Sherdhan Rai, among others, are scheduled to address the gathering.  

Following the dissolution of the 275-member House of Representatives (HoR) by President Bidya Devi Bhandari upon the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on December 20 last year, the ruling party has witnessed a vertical split. The two factions -- one led by PM Oli and the other by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal-- have been organizing mass gatherings and rallies in a bid to show off their strength. 

The Dahal-Nepal faction has taken to the streets, claiming that the move of the prime minister to dissolve the parliament was an unconstitutional move. However, the Oli-led faction has maintained that it is the prerogative of the prime minister to dissolve parliament and seek a fresh mandate. 

Analysts see the gatherings being organized by the Oli-led faction as an attempt to defend the controversial move of the government to dissolve the parliament and announce midterm polls for April 30 and May 10

 
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