Nepal Protests: Two Ministers Resign amid Growing Public Anger

After Nepal’s Home Minister resigned from the government, now it’s Agriculture Minister, Ram Nath Adhikari, has stepped down from his position following massive ‘Gen Z’ protests across the city that claimed the lives of 19 people.

On Tuesday, Adhikari, who is a leader from the Shekhar Koirala faction of the Nepali Congress, said he could not remain in power while the government used bullets and force against its own people. His resignation came soon just a day after Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak stepped down, taking moral responsibility for the violence.

In his resignation letter, Adhikari slammed the government for “suppressing peaceful protests instead of listening to the youth,” accusing it of steering the country towards authoritarianism.

On Tuesday morning, groups of young people once again gathered outside Nepal’s Parliament building in New Baneshwar and in Kalanki, defying heavy police presence and curfew orders. Many carried no banners or party symbols.

“Yesterday’s incident exposed the government’s failure. I came here to stand with the youths,” one protester told Kathmandu Post.

Meanwhile, authorities reimposed an indefinite curfew in Kathmandu’s Ring Road area from 8:30 am, just hours after an earlier one had ended. Lalitpur also came under curfew as police moved to contain fresh demonstrations.

The crackdown has triggered outrage across Nepal. Congress leader Gagan Thapa openly called on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign, saying he must take moral responsibility for the 19 deaths. Leaders from both ruling and opposition parties have condemned the use of force against the young demonstrators.

Prime Minister Oli, in a late-night address on Monday, lifted the controversial social media ban that had partly fuelled the protests. He blamed “infiltrators” for the violence and promised an inquiry panel, financial aid for victims’ families, and free treatment for the injured.

But on the ground, the assurances have done little. With two ministers gone, curfew back in force, and thousands of angry youths demanding Oli’s resignation, Nepal’s unrest shows no signs of slowing down.

Also Read: Nepal: Protesters Return To Streets After Ban Lifted, Demand PM Oli’s Ouster