Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday amid escalating protests that have left at least 19 people dead, more than 100 injured, and the country’s political establishment in turmoil.
The unrest, sparked by a government ban on social media, has spiralled into the worst wave of violence since the 2006 uprising that ended Nepal’s monarchy.
Gen Z protesters, who organised largely through underground networks, have defied curfews and overwhelmed security forces in Kathmandu, torching parliament, attacking ministers, and setting ablaze some of the country’s most prominent institutions.
Among the most shocking moments, viral footage showed the finance minister stripped and chased into a river by protesters before being paraded along the stream in humiliation.
In another incident, crowds attacked the residence of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, thrashing them both before vandalising their home.
Residences belonging to President Ram Chandra Paudel, Prime Minister Oli in Balkot, and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak were also targeted and torched.
The headquarters of Kantipur Publications, which runs Kantipur Daily and The Kathmandu Post, was engulfed in flames after demonstrators stormed the building.
Videos widely shared online show the massive blaze, with protesters accusing the media group of acting as a “mouthpiece for a corrupt government.” Other offices within the complex also suffered damage.
The violence reached its peak when protesters broke into parliament, setting parts of the building on fire and scrawling “We won” across its walls after news of Oli’s resignation.
Exuberant young demonstrators waved victory signs and chanted slogans as smoke rose from the complex.
Oli’s decision to step down followed a bloody confrontation on Monday, when police used live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas against crowds attempting to storm parliament, killing 19 people.
In a last-ditch effort to ease tensions, his government lifted the social media ban, but the move came too late to quell the rage.
The protests underscore widespread frustration with Nepal’s fragile republic, established in 2008 after the monarchy was abolished.
Since then, the country has seen 13 governments in 17 years, with corruption, instability and weak governance eroding public trust.
While Oli’s resignation marks a major concession, uncertainty hangs over Nepal’s political future.
Protesters are demanding a full government dissolution, raising fears of further instability in the Himalayan nation wedged between India and China.
