Corruption, online curbs fuel Nepal turmoil; HM resigns
At least 19 people were killed and around 400 injured in Nepal when police fired rubber bullets and live ammunition at a demonstration led by the youth, The Hindu report stated.
Nepal’s tech-savvy Gen Z generation on Monday (September 8, 2025) poured into the streets of Kathmandu and other major cities to protest corruption, nepotism, favouritism, and misgovernance, triggered by the K.P. Sharma Oli government’s recent ban on social media platforms.
The Ministry of Health and Population confirmed the casualty figures based on data collected from hospitals across the country. Tens of thousands of Gen Z protestors rallied in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Butwal, Dharan, Ghorahi, Itahari, and elsewhere, chanting in unison: “We are the movement. We will fight against corruption and nepotism.”
The Oli government on Thursday (September 4, 2025) imposed a sweeping ban on over two dozen platforms, including X, Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, citing their failure to comply with Nepal’s mandatory registration requirements.
Free speech advocates were quick to warn that the ban was less about regulation than about silencing dissent. Still, the government went ahead, a move that clearly struck a raw nerve among Nepal’s digital generation.
A protester in his 20s said he would rather get hit by the Oli government’s bullet than back down. “I am here despite warnings against participating in this demonstration,” he said. “This corruption and misgovernance must end.”
As they marched towards the federal parliament building in New Baneshwor, security forces reinforced barricades. But protesters broke through the police cordon and entered the parliament premises, chanting slogans against leaders, including PM Oli, and demanding he “leave the country.”
Kathmandu’s chief district officer issued a notice stating that police would fire shots if government property was targeted, which was immediately met with fierce opposition. Nevertheless, police engaged in excessive force, using water cannons and live bullets, ultimately leading to the deaths of young protesters.
Following a Cabinet meeting held on Monday evening, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned.
The Nepal government has decided to form an inquiry committee to investigate the protests and the committee will be given 15 days to investigate and submit a report to the government. The local administration has imposed a curfew in Itahari Sub-Metropolitan City of Sunsari, around 360 kilometres east of Kathmandu.