Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli steps down amid nationwide protests

Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday, following one of the deadliest crackdowns on protesters in years that left at least 19 people dead.

“I have resigned from the post of prime minister with effect from today in order to take further steps towards a political solution and resolution of the problems,” Oli stated in a letter to the president.

Young protesters in Nepal defied a curfew earlier in the day to express their anger at the government.

The demonstrations, which began on Monday demanding the lifting of a social media ban and action against corruption, continued despite the apps being restored online.

Kathmandu police spokesman Shekhar Khanal said several groups ignored the curfew on Tuesday, with protesters taking to the streets in multiple areas, resulting in “cases of fire and attacks.”

Some demonstrators targeted politicians’ properties and government buildings, according to AFP photographers and local media reports.

The 73-year-old Prime Minister Oli ordered a probe into the violence and said he will lead all-party talks in a bid to achieve a “meaningful conclusion” to the unrest.

The interior minister resigned on Monday, according to a government statement, while two other ministers stepped down on Tuesday, Nepali media reported.

“The social media platforms have been reopened, which was among Gen Z’s demands,” Minister for Communication Prithvi Subba Gurung told AFP, referring to young people largely in their 20s.

“We are open to dialogue with the protesters.”

The social media ban fed into existing anger at the government in a country with a youth bulge.

People aged 15-40 make up nearly 43 percent of the population, according to government statistics while unemployment hovers around 10 percent and GDP per capita at just $1,447, according to the World Bank.

Slogans demanding accountability from the authorities have been a feature at the protests.

“Nearly 20 people were murdered by the state that shows the scale of police brutality,” 23-year-old student Yujan Rajbhandari said Tuesday, who took in the demonstrations a day earlier.

“The government … have to take responsibility for the lives that were lost,” Rajbhandari.

Several social media sites including Facebook, YouTube and X were blocked on Friday in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people, after the government cut access to 26 unregistered platforms.

Amnesty International said live ammunition had been used against protesters on Monday, and the United Nations demanded a swift and transparent probe.

– ‘Silencing an entire generation’ –
Police in Kathmandu on Monday clashed with the crowds when protesters pushed through barbed wire and tried to storm into a restricted area near parliament.

Seventeen people were killed in Kathmandu, police said, and two more in the eastern district of Sunsari, according to local media.

Police said about 400 people were injured, including more than 100 police.

Since Friday, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which was not blocked.

Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.

Others rely on the apps for messaging.

“This isn’t just about social media it’s about trust, corruption, and a generation that refuses to stay silent,” the Kathmandu Post newspaper wrote.

“Gen Z grew up with smartphones, global trends, and promises of a federal, prosperous Nepal,” it added.

“For them, digital freedom is personal freedom. Cutting off access feels like silencing an entire generation.”

Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms in the past, including to Telegram in July, citing a rise in online fraud.

It lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok last year after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.