Kathmandu (EFE).- Nepal’s Interior Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned on Monday for “ethical reasons” following the deaths of at least 19 young people in protests against corruption and the blocking of social media, according to official sources.
Lekhak, a prominent leader of the Nepalese Congress, had served as Interior Minister since July 2024.
The resignation was submitted to Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli during a cabinet meeting at the official residence in Baluwatar, as confirmed to EFE by the Nepalese Congress lawmaker Rajendra Bajgain.
The aforementioned follows a day of unrest that spread from Kathmandu to several other main cities in the country, leaving at least 19 people dead and over 347 injured, many with grave bullet wounds to the head and chest, according to hospital data compiled by EFE.
Bajgain also said that pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Oli to resign amid growing public outrage.
In Damak, in the east of the country, protesters threw stones at the residence of the head of government, prompting the police to fire warning shots.
Meanwhile, barricades made of burning tyres were erected on several sections of the East-West Highway.
The mobilizations began peacefully in the New Baneshwor area, following days of online activism.
Police responded with water cannons, tear gas, and live fire to disperse the crowd.
The scale of the protests prompted the authorities to impose a curfew in several areas of the capital from 03:30 pm local time. However, clashes continued throughout the night and spread to other districts.
The demonstrations erupted after the government ordered the blocking of 26 platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and X.
For days, young people had been protesting on social media using hashtags such as #NepoKid, #NepoBabies, and #PoliticiansNepoBabyNepal, denouncing nepotism (the practice of favouring relatives or close associates in access to positions and jobs).
Led by young people aged 15-28 and dubbed “Generation Z,” the movement demands an end to corruption and the lifting of the social media blockade. EFE
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