"Main Modi Ji Ko Namaskar Karti Hoon": Nepal Ex-Chief Justice Sushila Karki

Former Chief Justice of Nepal, Sushila Karki, who was earlier proposed by the Gen-Z youth movement to lead the country's interim government, has spoken about Nepal's longstanding relationship with India and expressed her admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Now, Kul Man Ghising, the engineer who solved Nepal's power crisis, is likely to lead an interim government in the nation, after three days of violent anti-corruption 'Gen Z protests' forced Prime Minister KP Oli and President RC Paudel to quit.

In an interview with News18, Karki emphasised the closeness between the two neighbouring countries. "There is a lot of respect and love for India. India has helped Nepal a lot," she said.

Speaking about PM Modi, she added, "I have good relations with Indian leaders. I especially want to say, main Modi ji ko namaskar karti hoon (I greet Prime Minister Modi). I have a very good impression of Modi ji." 

Notably, Sushila Karki was Nepal's first female Chief Justice serving in the role from July 2016 to June 2017. She adopted a policy of zero tolerance against corruption during her tenure.

Born as the eldest daughter out of seven children, Karki's family came from a farmer background and had close ties with BP Koirala's family, who was the Prime Minister of Nepal from 1959 to 1960.

Karki completed her BA from Mahendra Morang Campus in 1972 and MA in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University in 1975. She then completed her Bachelor of Laws from Tribhuvan University in 1978.

Recalling her days in Varanasi while she studied at Banaras Hindu University, Karki told News18, "I still remember my late teachers, my late friends, and the river Ganga. Besides the Ganga, there was a hostel. And at night in the summer, we would sleep on the terrace."

With the KP Sharma Oli government unseated by nationwide protests, flagging corruption and lack of transparency, Nepal now faces a challenging transition. The Army has taken charge of maintaining calm and prohibitory orders have been imposed to prevent incidents of violence.

The ousted government's crackdown against protesters led to over 30 deaths, and over 500 people were injured. The protesters retaliated by torching government buildings and attacking politicians. The Army has now warned that any loot, vandalism, or attack will draw a tough response.