Nepal plunged deeper into political turmoil on Tuesday as Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned amid intensifying youth-led protests against corruption and last week’s social media ban. His secretariat confirmed the resignation, while four cabinet ministers had already stepped down earlier in the day.
The unrest, spearheaded by Gen-Z demonstrators, has claimed at least 19 lives and left hundreds injured in violent clashes with police since Monday. Over 500 protesters were wounded in confrontations around Kathmandu’s Federal Parliament and adjoining areas, according to The Himalayan Times.
Despite the government lifting the controversial social media ban late Monday night, fresh protests erupted within hours, with demonstrators storming the Singha Durbar administrative complex, breaching its heavily guarded western gate. Singha Durbar houses Nepal’s key ministries and government offices.
Authorities have imposed curfews across central Kathmandu and adjoining towns, but demonstrators continued to escalate their attacks, targeting top political figures and institutions:
- PM Oli’s private residence in Balkot was set ablaze as crowds demanded accountability for Monday’s deaths.
- The Nepali Congress headquarters in Sanepa was vandalized, while party president Sher Bahadur Deuba’s home in Budhanilkantha was attacked.
- The CPN-UML party office in Lalitpur was also torched after protesters smashed windows and hurled stones.
- Residences of senior leaders, including Deputy PM and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Biswo Paudel, and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, were pelted with stones and vandalized.
Security forces deployed tear gas to disperse crowds, though witnesses reported incidents of gunfire and bullet injuries, despite official denials of live ammunition use.
The crisis has also forced the closure of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), with the Nepali Army securing its premises to prevent further disruption.
According to The Kathmandu Post, violence has now spread beyond the capital, with party offices, ministerial residences, and public infrastructure under attack in several provinces.
Oli’s resignation marks a dramatic turn in the country’s unrest, but with anger over corruption still running high and protesters vowing to continue their movement, Nepal faces mounting uncertainty over its political future.