India, March 28 -- Former Nepal prime minister K P Sharma Oli has reacted sharply to his arrest, calling the move "retaliatory" and asserting that he will challenge it through legal means, even as the country navigates a fragile political transition following last year's deadly anti-government unrest.

The arrest comes at a crucial moment for Nepal, just a day after a new government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah was sworn in following the first elections since the 2025 uprising that toppled Oli's decades-long political dominance.

"This arrest is retaliatory. I will fight it legally, prepare yourselves," Oli told his lawyers, according to Nepali news site Onlinekhabar.com. It also reported that Oli denied any role in the violence. ...