Fresh protests erupted in Nepal on Tuesday morning, just a day after the government revoked a controversial social media ban that had triggered violent clashes, leaving at least 20 people dead and hundreds injured, according to local media reports.
The Kathmandu District Administration Office reimposed restrictions by declaring an indefinite curfew inside the Ring Road area of the capital, only hours after an earlier order was lifted. The previous curfew, imposed on Monday, had expired at 5 a.m. today, but a new order took effect from 8:30 a.m.
Demonstrators were seen blocking roads near the Nepal Parliament and in Kalanki, among other areas of Kathmandu.
The renewed unrest followed Monday’s deadly crackdown, when security forces opened fire on protesters in Kathmandu and Itahari, leaving 20 dead and more than 250 injured in what local outlets described as the deadliest suppression of civilian protests in recent years.
Protesters said they would not end their agitation until Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli steps down. “Yesterday, many students were killed and the Prime Minister of Nepal, KP Sharma Oli, should leave the nation… Students should continue to raise their voice,” one protester told.
Also Read : Nepal lifts social media ban after deadly Gen Z protests
A retired Nepal Army Colonel, Madhav Sundar Khadga, who has been part of a six-month campaign against corruption, said his son went missing during Monday’s unrest. “My son was with me yesterday… I was in a different area near my home. I called him up three times, he did not receive the call. After 4 p.m., the phone was switched off. Then I came here… I came to the Police but they hit me… I want the President to dissolve this Government,” Khadga told reporters.
The Oli government confirmed that 19 people were killed and more than 250 injured in Monday’s protests, which spread beyond Kathmandu to other parts of the country.
The social media ban, which blocked 26 platforms including Facebook, X and WhatsApp, had been imposed last week on companies that failed to register with Nepal’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The move sparked nationwide outrage, particularly among students and young demonstrators, who accused the government of curbing free expression and shielding corruption.
Following an emergency Cabinet meeting late Monday, Oli announced the ban was lifted, but blamed “infiltration by various vested interest groups” for the violence.
He said the government would establish a panel to investigate the protests and provide financial relief to victims’ families, along with free treatment for those injured.
Despite the announcement, Tuesday’s protests show anger against the government remains strong. Demonstrators said the lifting of the ban is not enough, and that the prime minister must resign to restore stability and accountability in the Himalayan nation.
Agriculture Minister Adhikari Resigns
Nepal’s Agriculture Minister Ram Nath Adhikari on Tuesday resigned from his post, condemning the government’s crackdown that led to the deaths of 19 people during ‘Gen Z’ protests across Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal a day ago, as per local media reports.
Adhikari, aligned with the Shekhar Koirala faction of the Nepali Congress, stepped down citing the government’s authoritarian response during Monday’s ‘Gen Z’ protests.
His resignation follows that of the Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak who steped down taking moral responsibility for the government’s handling of protests yesterday.
The publication cited Adhikari’s resignation letter in which he stated that “instead of recognising citizens’ natural right to question democracy and stage peaceful protests, the state responded with widespread suppression, killings, and use of force, moving the country towards authoritarianism rather than democracy.”
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