Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has resigned as

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigns as protests escalate

Kathmandu [Nepal], September 9 (HBTV): Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday resigned as violent protests continued for the second day across the country. Oli's secretariat confirmed his resignation, local media reported. Four ministers had earlier stepped down from the government. 

At least 19 protesters were killed and hundreds injured in Kathmandu and nearby towns during Monday’s agitations, which were led by young demonstrators against government corruption and a controversial social media ban. The government lifted the ban late on Monday after the clashes, but protests resumed hours later with renewed allegations of corruption.

On Tuesday, demonstrators breached the western gate of Singha Durbar, the country’s central administrative complex that houses ministries and government offices. Authorities imposed curfews in key areas of the capital following the violence, while protesters set fire to ruling party offices, Oli’s residence in Balkot, and several buildings in Janakpur.

According to local media, demonstrators also vandalized the central office of the Nepali Congress in Sanepa and attacked the homes of Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba in Budhanilkantha and leaders of the CPN-UML in Lalitpur. Stones were hurled, windows smashed, and offices set ablaze amid the escalating unrest.

Police used tear gas to disperse crowds, though officials claimed security forces had been instructed to exercise restraint. Reports, however, indicated incidents of gunfire and bullet injuries.

The Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu was closed as demonstrations escalated, with the Nepali Army deployed to secure the site.

The protests, driven largely by Gen Z activists, also targeted the residences of several political leaders, including Communication and Information Technology Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Biswo Paudel, and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, according to The Kathmandu Post.

(ANI)