Kathmandu: ‘Gen Z’ protesters marched through Kathmandu shouting ‘KP Chor, Desh Chhod’ (KP is a thief, leave the country) and ‘Act Against Corrupt Leaders’. In Bhaktapur, demonstrators set fire to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s private residence. Oli resigned on Tuesday, the second day of massive anti-government protests led by students and youth.
Oli’s resignation came shortly after hundreds of protesters entered his office. Hours before he stepped down, demonstrators had set fire to his private home in Balkot, demanding accountability for the fatalities on Monday.
Meanwhile, 21 MPs from the Rashtriya Swatantra Party, Nepal’s fourth-largest national party, resigned en masse on Tuesday amidst the violent protests.
The protesters, chanting slogans against corruption and demanding action against corrupt leaders, also torched the residence of former home minister Ramesh Lekhak. Lekhak had resigned the previous day after a police crackdown on a protest over a social media ban resulted in 19 deaths and over 300 injuries. Protesters demanded Oli’s resignation, stating that the Home Minister’s exit was not enough.
Major online news portals, including Ukeraa.com and Ratopati, criticized Monday’s police action, calling it one of the deadliest days in Nepal’s recent history. They accused the government of indiscriminately firing on students and youths, emphasizing that the protest was not politically motivated but stemmed from frustration over corruption, unemployment, and social disorder.
Protests escalated on Tuesday despite a curfew. Demonstrations were reported in various parts of Kathmandu and the Lalitpur district. Protesters, mostly students, chanted “Don’t kill students” and blocked roads by burning tires. Eyewitnesses reported police firing on demonstrators, injuring four people. Protesters also vandalized the homes of Communication Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, who had ordered the social media ban, and former prime ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Sher Bahadur Deuba.
The ‘Gen Z’ group, which has been campaigning against corruption, used social media platforms like Reddit and Instagram to expose the lavish lifestyles of the children of influential figures. The government’s ban on 26 social media sites, including Facebook and X, was seen as an attempt to suppress free speech. However, in a late-night move on Monday, the government restored access to the platforms to ease public anger.
With input from TNIE
For more details: Navamalayalam.com
