Kathmandu, September 13 Nirmala Panta’s parents, who have been camping in the capital along with their supporters, today criticised Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli for his remarks supporting the Bam sisters, who they allege played a role in their 13-year-old daughter’s rape and murder. Oli, in a recent television programme Janta Sanga Pradhanmantri expressed support for the Bam sisters. The PM had remarked that a crude attack was being hurled against the sisters. “Isn’t this violence against women? The society has to be sensitive. The girls must not face a death-like situation while they are alive. Humiliations and insults are not allowed. Culprits need to be identified through process of law and no external influence shall be entertained,” Oli said in the programme. Yagya Raj, Nirmala’s father who has been camping in Kathmandu along with his wife Durga Devi and nine activists from Kanchanpur, said in a press meet organised here: “The PM’s statement has undermined our struggle to find justice. What should we make of his remark?” He broke down and said, “Am I not a citizen of this country. What can we expect from a PM who is supposed to be our guardian, but is making such remarks?” Sharada Chand, an activist who is a key supporter of Nirmala’s parents, said, “If the prime minster was so concerned about saving the dignity of women, why didn’t he speak up when two innocent girls were taken into custody and tortured by the cops who had framed an innocent person for raping and killing Nirmala?” She also questioned the PM’s claim that activists had forcefully taken Nirmala’s body to the mayor’s house, while her parents were ready to receive it for final rites. “This is completely wrong. People in authority must speak only after confirming the truth about events,” said Chand. Badri Prasad Bhusal, an advocate and chair of Collective Campaign for Peace (CoCAP) told THT that Dilip Singh Bista, who was arrested as a suspect in the case, was tortured in custody. Nirmala was raped and murdered on July 26 and her body was found in a sugarcane field around 1.5 km from her home the next day.