Nepal’s Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak on Monday resigned as massive anti-government protests in Kathmandu and other regions turned violent, leaving at least 19 people dead and over 200 injured.
According to news agency ANI, Lekhak submitted his resignation to Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli during a cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar.
Prime Minister Oli had convened the urgent cabinet meeting after demonstrations over alleged corruption and the government’s recent ban on 26 social media platforms spiraled into deadly violence, with police opening fire on protesters.
Thousands of demonstrators stormed the streets of Kathmandu, breaching restricted zones and forcing their way into the Parliament premises.
Overwhelmed by the crowd, police resorted to firing tear gas shells and live ammunition in an attempt to disperse the protesters.
Meanwhile, authorities have imposed a curfew across several parts of Kathmandu, including Shital Niwas (the President’s residence), Maharajgunj, Lainchaur (the Vice President’s residence), Singha Durbar, and Baluwatar (the Prime Minister’s residence).
The protests were spearheaded by ‘Hami Nepal,’ an NGO established in 2015, widely recognized for its humanitarian work such as disaster relief, food distribution, and restoring water supplies after floods and earthquakes.
Major opposition parties, including the CPN (Maoist Centre) and CPN (Unified Socialist), have backed the protests, demanding Prime Minister Oli’s resignation as the political crisis deepens.
According to media reports, the government is considering lifting the social media ban in an effort to calm public anger.