GEN Z PROTEST ‘HIJACKED’; PARL, SUPREME COURT BUILDINGS RAZED; EX-PM KHANAL’S WIFE KILLED
Nepal reeled under a serious political crisis on Tuesday as Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned in the face of massive protests for a second day with the demonstrators storming many government buildings and setting the parliament as well as homes of several high-profile leaders ablaze, a day after 19 people died in violence.
The students-led “Gen Z” protests that began against a government ban on social media expanded into a larger campaign reflecting growing public criticism of the Oli dispensation and the country’s political elite over alleged corruption and apathy towards the common people.
As the protesters, defying curfews and heavy deployment of security forces, continued to resort to arson and violence even after Oli’s resignation, President Ramchandra Paudel appealed for calm and national unity
In the evening, the Nepalese Army called for calm and dialogue to resolve the crisis. Meanwhile, the Nepalese Army, in a statement, indicated that it is taking charge of the security situation in the absence of political leadership.
Soon after Oli resigned from the post of prime minister, the ‘Gen Z’ group on Tuesday issued a clarification that their movement is “non-violent” and “rooted in the principles of peaceful civic engagement”.
Oli stepped down shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office shouting slogans demanding his ouster for the death of at least 19 people in police action during the protests on Monday as well as for his alleged “inaction” against widespread corruption.
The Gen Z protesters, who have been campaigning against corruption for some time now, said they are not associated with any individual or group or political party attempting to “hijack” or “misrepresent” their cause.
In light of the protests turning violent due to “external agitators”, they requested the Nepal army to assess the situation and enforce curfew wherever required to ensure citizens’ safety. Though the ban on social media was lifted late last night, the intensity of protests grew on Tuesday with the focus of the agitation shifting to anger over the deaths of 19 people in police action on Monday and the larger issues of alleged corruption and luxury lifestyles of the political elite.
A mob set a house belonging to former prime minister Jhala Nath Khanal on fire in Dallu. His wife, Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, who was trapped inside the house, sustained serious burn injuries, according to eyewitnesses. She reportedly succumbed to her injuries at a hospital.
Hours before Oli’s resignation, the protesters set on fire the Nepalese leader’s private house in Balkot, and attacked properties of President Ramchandra Paudel, former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Communication minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, former home minister Ramesh Lekhak and former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.
The houses and offices of several prominent leaders were set on fire, according to eyewitnesses.
The agitators shouted slogans such as “KP Chor, Desh Chhod” (KP thief, leave the country) and “Take Action Against Corrupt Leaders”.
Protesters also torched the residence of former home minister Ramesh Lekhak at Naikap in Kathmandu, just a day after he resigned from his post, according to officials.
They also vandalised former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba’s house at Budhanilkantha in Kathmandu.
Nepal’s Gen Z rallies around Balendra Shah
After demonstrations forced Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign from office, all eyes are now on Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, with online campaigns encouraging him to take the lead as the next prime minister.
Born in 1990 in Kathmandu, Balen studied civil engineering in Nepal and later completed a master’s degree in structural engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University in India.
Before entering politics, Balen was active in Nepal’s underground hip-hop scene as a rapper and lyricist, often raising issues such as corruption and inequality through his music.
In 2022, he contested the Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent candidate and won with more than 61,000 votes, defeating contenders from established political parties.