Kathmandu, September 9 – Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday as violent Gen Z-led protests against his government’s controversial social media ban swept across Nepal, leaving 19 dead and over 300 injured.
Demonstrators stormed the streets of Kathmandu and other major cities, chanting slogans like “KP Chor, Desh Chhod” (KP thief, leave the country) and “Take Action Against Corrupt Leaders.” Protesters torched Oli’s private residence in Bhaktapur and vandalised the official Prime Minister’s residence at Balwatar, where Oli was present.
The homes of several senior leaders were also attacked. The residence of former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak in Naikap was set ablaze, even though he had resigned a day earlier in the wake of mounting unrest.
Oli’s resignation came just hours after he had called for an all-party meeting to discuss the rapidly escalating crisis. However, with anger intensifying and security forces struggling to contain the unrest, he stepped down, acknowledging the political paralysis.
The protests, driven largely by students and young citizens, were triggered by the government’s move to impose sweeping restrictions on social media platforms, citing “national security concerns.”
Critics, however, condemned the ban as an assault on free speech in a country where digital platforms have become vital for political expression.
The demonstrations, which began last week in Kathmandu, have since spread “like wildfire” to several provinces.
Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in large numbers, but their heavy-handed response has only fuelled more outrage.
With Oli’s departure, Nepal enters a period of deep uncertainty. Opposition leaders have called for calm but admit the path ahead will be turbulent. International observers have urged restraint on all sides and warned that prolonged instability could derail the country’s fragile democracy.
