Kathmandu, Sep 9: Nepal reeled under a serious political crisis on Tuesday as Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned in the face of massive protests for a second day, with the demonstrators storming many government buildings and setting the parliament as well as homes of several high-profile leaders ablaze, a day after 19 people died in violence.
The students-led “Gen Z” protests that began against a government ban on social media expanded into a larger campaign reflecting growing public criticism of the Oli dispensation and the country’s political elite over alleged corruption and apathy towards the common people.
As the protesters, defying curfews and heavy deployment of security forces, continued to resort to arson and violence even after Oli’s resignation, President Ramchandra Paudel appealed for calm and national unity.
“I urge everyone, including the protesting citizens, to cooperate for a peaceful resolution of the country’s difficult situation,” Paudel said in a statement.
In the evening, the Nepalese Army called for calm and dialogue to resolve the crisis.
The army took charge of security from 10 PM Tuesday, following a day of violent unrest in the Kathmandu Valley and several other parts of the country. It warned that all security mechanisms will be mobilised to contain the violence if such activities continue.
In a video message, Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel asked the protesting groups to suspend their agitation and engage in dialogue.
Though the ban on social media was lifted late last night, the intensity of protests grew on Tuesday, with the focus of the agitation shifting to anger over the deaths of 19 people in police action on Monday and the larger issues of alleged corruption and luxury lifestyles of the political elite.
A mob set a house belonging to former prime minister Jhala Nath Khanal on fire in Dallu. His wife, Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, who was trapped inside the house, sustained serious burn injuries, according to eyewitnesses. She reportedly succumbed to her injuries at a hospital.
Hours before Oli’s resignation, the protesters set on fire the Nepalese leader’s private house in Balkot, and attacked properties of President Ramchandra Paudel, former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Communication minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, former home minister Ramesh Lekhak and former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.
The houses and offices of several prominent leaders were set on fire, according to eyewitnesses.
With the situation deteriorating rapidly, the top brass of the Nepali Army and other security agencies issued a joint appeal calling for restraint and resolution of the crisis through dialogue.
“As the prime minister’s resignation has already been accepted by the president, we call upon all to restrain and not to allow more loss to life and property in this difficult situation,” they said.
“A peaceful resolution through dialogue is the only way to restore order and stability,” they said in a joint statement.
The statement was signed by Nepal Army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, Home Secretary Gokarna Dawadi, Chief of Armed Police Force (APF) Raju Aryal, Inspector General of Police Chandra Kuber Khapung and Chief of National Investigation Department Hutraj Thapa.
Oli stepped down shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office, shouting slogans and demanding his ouster for the death of at least 19 people in police action during the protests on Monday, as well as for his alleged “inaction” against widespread corruption.
In his resignation letter to President Ramchandra Paudel, the 73-year-old Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) leader cited the “extraordinary circumstances” facing Nepal and said he is quitting to pave the way for a “constitutional and political” resolution of the current situation.
Oli, known to be close to China, had become the prime minister in July 2024 for the fourth time with the support of the Nepali Congress Party. He was scheduled to visit India this month.
The agitators shouted slogans such as “KP Chor, Desh Chhod” (KP thief, leave the country) and “Take Action Against Corrupt Leaders”.
Protesters also torched the residence of former home minister Ramesh Lekhak at Naikap in Kathmandu, just a day after he resigned from his post, according to officials.
Demonstrations were reported from Kalanki, Kalimati, Tahachal, and Baneshwor in Kathmandu, as well as Chyasal, Chapagau, and Thecho areas of Lalitpur district. Protesters, mostly students, chanted slogans such as “Don’t kill students”, defying the restrictions on public gatherings.
In Kalanki, demonstrators burnt tyres to block roads from the early hours of the morning, according to eyewitness accounts.
The agitating youths also pelted stones at the residence of Communication Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung in Sunakothi at Lalitpur district, eyewitnesses said. Gurung had ordered a ban on the social media sites.
They also vandalised former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba’s house at Budhanilkantha in Kathmandu.
The Gen Z group, which has been campaigning against corruption for some time, has used social media platforms like Reddit and Instagram to expose what they called the “extravagant lifestyles of the children of ministers and other influential figures.”
They have posted videos and images, questioning the sources of wealth that fund such opulence, purportedly derived from corrupt practices.
The Nepalese government had ordered the ban of 26 social media sites, including Facebook and ‘X’, over their failure to register with the government.
Among the other demands of the protesters are a guarantee for freedom of expression and the introduction of a retirement age for those holding political office, according to Gen Z activists.
Nepal Army has also issued a separate statement expressing its commitment to protect the country’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and national unity. (PTI)
