Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned from the post after anti-corruption protests turned violent for the second consecutive day. Announcing his decision, Oli said he resigned “to facilitate solution to the problem, and help resolve it politically.” The Nepali Army and chiefs of other security agencies issued a rare joint appeal urging restraint and calling for dialogue as the only path to restore order. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife Arju Rana Deuba, who is current Foreign Minister of the country were assaulted at their residence. All flights at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu were cancelled, citing unprecedented, serious circumstances and security concerns. Earlier on Tuesday, the PM called an all-party meeting, after the protesters set fire to the Nepali Congress party’s central office in Lalitpur. The protesters also set fire to the residences of PM Oli in Balkot, President Ram Chandra Poudel, and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak. The fresh wave of agitation comes a day after the Nepal government revoked its ban on social media platforms in the country, after protests, led by Gen-Z, opposing the ban and government’s corruption, resulted in the deaths of at least 22 people and injuries to over 400 injured.
New Delhi issued a statement advising Indian nationals residing in Nepal to “exercise caution and adhere to the steps and guidelines issued by the Nepali authorities.” With unrest spilling fears across the border, Indian security forces placed the 1,751-km India-Nepal frontier on heightened alert.. Indian carriers IndiGo and Air India announced suspension of their flights to and from Kathmandu.
The Nepal army announced that it will assume control of security operations now. The military warned that all security agencies, including the Army itself, would be fully mobilised if violence continues. At the same time, it appealed for public cooperation, urging citizens to refrain from destructive acts and help restore order. The protest by Gen-Z began after the Oli cabinet decided to ban 26 social media platforms where details of alleged political corruption were highlighted regularly.