Nepal’s Agriculture Minister Ramnath Adhikari resigned from his publish on Tuesday. This comes following the demise of 19 individuals throughout youth-led “Gen Z” protests on Monday.
Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is dealing with mounting political stress after two key cupboard ministers resigned inside 24 hours of youth-led demonstrations that shook Kathmandu on Monday. On Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Ramnath Adhikari stepped down, citing the federal government’s “authoritarian” response to the protests. His resignation follows that of House Minister Ramesh Lekhak, who give up on Monday night, hours after 19 individuals had been killed throughout clashes between protesters and police.
In his resignation letter, Adhikari condemned the federal government’s response to what started as “peaceable protests”. He wrote, “As a substitute of recognising residents’ pure proper to query and protest in a democracy, the state responded with widespread suppression, killings, and use of power transferring the nation in direction of authoritarianism.”
Adhikari added that he couldn’t, in good conscience, stay in energy “with out accountability” for the federal government’s violent crackdown on youth demonstrators.
What sparked the protests?
The unrest was triggered by the federal government’s determination to ban main social media platforms, together with Fb, X (previously Twitter), YouTube, and Instagram, for failing to register domestically. Protesters primarily from the Gen Z demographic (born 1995–2010) took to the streets of Kathmandu in giant numbers on Monday. Demonstrators chanted slogans like “Cease the ban on social media, cease corruption not social media!” as they marched towards Parliament, waving nationwide flags.
What began as a peaceable protest shortly spiraled into chaos:
- Protesters breached police barricades and entered restricted zones close to Parliament.
- Clashes erupted as some hurled water bottles and branches; police retaliated with tear gasoline, water cannons, and rubber bullets.
- At one level, police had been overwhelmed and compelled to retreat into the Parliament compound.
- The federal government declared a curfew round Parliament, key authorities places of work, and the President’s residence.
The Ministry of Communication and Data Know-how mentioned the bans had been because of the platforms’ failure to register and adjust to native legal guidelines. Firms got a seven-day deadline beginning August 28, however failed to satisfy it.
This isn’t the primary time Nepal has clamped down on digital platforms:
In 2023, TikTok was banned for “disturbing social concord.” The ban was lifted solely after TikTok agreed to adjust to laws. Pornographic web sites have additionally been banned since 2018.