Kathmandu is witnessing its worst political and civil crisis in recent years as Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday, September 9, following violent Gen Z-led protests that swept across the country.
The demonstrations, spearheaded by youth leader Sudan Gurung, erupted after the government imposed a controversial ban on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube and X. Though the ban was later revoked, the protests had already escalated into a nationwide movement against corruption and misgovernance.
The unrest has left at least 19 people dead and over 500 injured, forcing the Nepal Army to take over national security operations. Soldiers were deployed after protesters attacked government buildings and attempted to storm sensitive sites such as temples and Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport. As a result, flights operated by Air India, IndiGo and Nepal Airlines were cancelled, with the airport shut down until further notice.
In response to the worsening situation, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a travel advisory urging Indian citizens to avoid Nepal and asking those already in the country to remain indoors. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also convened an emergency Cabinet Committee on Security meeting, expressing deep anguish over the deaths of young protesters.
Tragedy deepened when Rajyalakshmi Chitrakar, wife of former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, died in an arson attack after protesters set their residence ablaze. In another shocking incident, former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, Foreign Affairs Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, were assaulted and briefly held by demonstrators at their Budanilkantha residence.
Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel was also attacked, with videos showing him being assaulted and stripped by protesters.
Despite the government’s reversal of the social media ban, public anger remains high amid allegations of corruption and heavy-handed police action. The crisis has drawn international attention, with Russia calling for a peaceful resolution and warning its citizens against travel to Nepal.
As tensions remain at boiling point, the country faces an uncertain path ahead under military security control.