REUTERS, Kathmandu

Tens of thousands rallied for the party of Nepal’s ousted prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, yesterday, in the largest gathering in the Himalayan country since youth-led anti-graft protests forced him out three months ago.

Police estimated 70,000 attended the rally in Bhaktapur near the capital Kathmandu to launch a three-day convention of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist).

The “Gen Z” protests and subsequent unrest killed 77 people and injured more than 2,000 in September. Oli and some other politicians had to be rescued and kept safe by the army for several days as the Prime Minister’s Office, the Supreme Court and parliament were set on fire.

The interim government headed by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki dissolved parliament.