Nepal Protests: PM Oli's House Set On Fire By Angry Protestors | Watch Video
The agitators torched the residence of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at Balkot in Bhaktapur. Oli is currently at the Prime Minister's residence at Balwatar
Violent student-led anti-government protests in Nepal on Tuesday intensified as the protestors set fire to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's house and vandalised residences of several political leaders.
The protestors defied curbs on public gatherings, and demanded the resignation of Oli.
The protesters, under the banner of Gen Z, shouted slogans such as 'KP Chor, Desh Chhod' (KP thief, leave the country) and 'Take Action Against Corrupt Leaders' in multiple parts of the capital.
The agitators torched the residence of Prime Minister Oli at Balkot in Bhaktapur. Oli is currently at the Prime Minister's residence at Balwatar.
Protesters also torched the residence of former home minister Ramesh Lekhak at Naikap in Kathmandu, just a day after he resigned from his post following the police's use of force on youths protesting the government ban on social media sites.
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.
The protesters main demands include the resignation of Prime Minister Oli, the formation of a national government, and strict action against corrupt politicians. Numerous posts on social media have called for Oli's resignation and the establishment of a new government. Among their other demands are guaranteed freedom of expression, and the introduction of a retirement age for those holding political office, according to Gen Z activists.
The Gen Z group, which has been campaigning against corruption for some time, has used social media platforms like Reddit and Instagram to expose 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 ban of social media sites, it said, was an attempt to suppress freedom of speech.
The Nepalese government had ordered the ban of 26 social media sites, including Facebook and ‘X’, over their failure to register with the government. However, in a late-night development, the government announced the restoration of access to social media platforms, in an apparent bid to ease public anger.
Nineteen youths, including a 12-year-old student, were killed and more than 300 were injured on Monday as police resorted to firing, baton charges, and tear gas to disperse demonstrators opposing widespread corruption and the social media ban.
