In protest against the ban on social media in Nepal, the youth protested violently in the capital Kathmandu and some other areas on Monday, during which at least 19 people were killed, while more than 300 people were injured. The officers provided this information.
Nepal’s Home Minister Ramesh writer resigned from his post over the current situation in the country. After the situation deteriorated, the Nepali army was deployed in the capital Kathmandu. Army soldiers have controlled the routes around the Parliament complex in the new Baneshwor.
Earlier, thousands of youth, including school students, gathered in front of Parliament House under the banner of ‘Jane Zee’ in Kathmandu and raised anti -government slogans demanding immediate removal of the ban.
According to eyewitnesses, the performance of the youth became violent when some protesters entered the Parliament complex, after which the police had to use lathicharge, tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the mob.
Nepal Police spokesman Vinod Ghimire said 17 people died in violent clashes during a rally in various parts of Kathmandu while two protesters were also killed in police firing in Sunsari district of East Nepal. These demonstrations also took place in areas like Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahwa, Bharatpur, Itahari and Damak.
Sources in the Nepali Congress said that the Home Minister author representing the Nepali Congress party in the coalition government has resigned on a moral grounds. In the evening, the author submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli at a cabinet meeting held at his residence, Baluvatter.
The ‘Kathmandu Post’ newspaper quoted hospital officials said that eight people died in the National Trauma Center. Three people died in Everest Hospital, three in Civil Hospital, two in Kathmandu Medical College and one at Tribhuvan Teaching Hospital.
According to The Himalayan Times newspaper, there is a shortage of space for patients in many hospitals including Civil Hospital and Trauma Center and they have started referring them to other hospitals.
After the violence, the local administration imposed curfew in several parts of the capital. Apart from Kathmandu, curfew was also imposed in Lalitpur district, Pokhara, Butwal and Itahari in Sunsari district.
Chief District Officer Chhabi Lal Rizal said in a notice, “The movement, demonstrations, meetings, meetings or demonstrations of the people in the restricted sector will not be allowed.” The local administration later also implemented these restrictive orders in Rashtrapati Bhavan, Vice President’s Housing and various areas of the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Nepal government banned 26 social media forums including Facebook, WhatsApp and X on September 4 for not following the compulsory registration process.
The government has clarified its attitude that the ban on social media forums has been imposed to regulate them, but the perception among the general public is that it will attack freedom of expression and can cause censorship.
Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, supporting his government’s decision to ban unregistered social media forums in the country, said on Sunday that “efforts to weaken the nation will never be tolerated.”
