Nepal has plunged into fresh political turmoil after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli stepped down today, following the country’s most violent anti-corruption protests in decades.
The resignation came a day after at least 19 people were killed and more than 100 injured when police clashed with demonstrators who defied an indefinite curfew in the capital. The unrest erupted after the government moved to ban social media platforms, a decision critics said was aimed at silencing public dissent.
Although the ban was swiftly revoked once violence spiraled out of control, the move only fueled outrage. Protesters attempted to storm parliament in Kathmandu on Monday, prompting security forces to respond with rubber bullets and tear gas.
“The prime minister has quit,” Oli’s aide Prakash Silwal confirmed to Reuters, marking yet another chapter of uncertainty for the Himalayan nation wedged between India and China. Nepal has struggled with instability and economic hardship since the abolition of its monarchy in 2008, when mass protests forced sweeping political change.
Earlier on Tuesday, Oli had convened an all-party meeting, urging dialogue to end the violence. “We have to resort to peaceful dialogue to find solutions to any problem,” he said, insisting that further bloodshed was not in the nation’s interest. But calls for calm went largely unheard.
Defying orders to stay indoors, protesters once again gathered outside parliament and across Kathmandu. Tyres were set ablaze on major roads, stones rained down on riot police, and thick smoke blanketed parts of the city. Eyewitnesses reported that several homes of senior politicians were torched, with some officials airlifted to safety by military helicopters.
The wave of anger has not been confined to the capital. Demonstrators from towns near the India-Nepal border were seen marching toward Kathmandu in solidarity with the movement.
With Oli’s departure, Nepal faces yet another period of political vacuum and uncertainty. The resignation is expected to trigger negotiations among rival parties on forming a new coalition, though the timeline for stability remains unclear.
