KATHMANDU: In a scathing criticism of the government, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Manish Jha on Tuesday accused Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli of targeting political opponents under the guise of governance, while also demanding that the assets of top executive officials be made public immediately.

Raising the issue in the House of Representatives, Jha expressed concern over the government’s failure to disclose the property details of the Prime Minister and ministers even after 10 months in office. “The same government that talks about transparency has kept the asset declarations under wraps for nearly a year. Why the delay?” he asked.

Jha’s remarks came amidst escalating criticism over the recent detention of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) senior vice-chairman Rabindra Mishra. Mishra, who was arrested following a violent pro-monarchy rally in Kathmandu’s Tinkune on March 28, remains in custody. Jha condemned the state’s handling of the case, calling it excessive and politically motivated.

“Though I do not agree with Rabindra Mishra’s political beliefs, I strongly object to the manner in which the state has treated him,” Jha said. “This is not how a democratic state should behave with its citizens, let alone political leaders.”

But the RSP MP didn’t stop there. He turned the spotlight on what he claims is a broader pattern of political retribution against new and rising political forces. Citing a recent statement by the Prime Minister, Jha alleged that the government’s actions against his party, particularly its president Rabi Lamichhane, were acts of deliberate retaliation.

“The Prime Minister said — and I quote — ‘I had to deal with some newcomers from new parties. I slapped one and sent them to custody.’ That’s not just a figure of speech; it’s an admission of political vendetta,” Jha charged. “At least he admitted it. But let’s not pretend this was about justice. It was clearly about settling political scores.”

Jha called on the government to stop undermining democratic dissent through state machinery and urged it to immediately publish the asset declarations of ministers to uphold public accountability.