Video: Nepalese man tries to slap ex-PM KP Sharma Oli during campaign, arrested

Nepalese authorities have arrested a man who tried to physically assault former Prime Minister and Opposition CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli during a popularity campaign in the Dhankuta district of eastern Nepal.

The local police have identified the assailant as Mahesh Rai. The man attempted to slap Oli when he was being greeted by the people and was offered flowers during the Mid-hill East-West campaign of the opposition UML.

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In a phone call to India-based news agency ANI, Rajeshnath Bastola, Koshi State Police Chief DIG said: "Upon examination, we have found that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident. There is no political motive behind the attempted assault. We have detained him."

The video of the incident has gone viral on social media forums. The clip showsthe attacker being stopped by the security escorts of the former prime minister. He was dragged back by a crowd of supporters.

Watch the video here:

Sewa Lamsal appointed Nepal's first woman Foreign Secretary

In another news from the country, Sewa Lamsal, joint secretary and spokesperson at Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was on Thursday promoted to the post of foreign secretary. She became the first woman in the country to assume the position.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers decided to promote Lamsal to the post of Foreign Secretary on Thursday, said a close aide to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

(With inputs from agencies)