Desk Report,
Reasons for protests in Nepal
Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday on the second day of anti-government protests. Several ministers resigned before him. On Monday, protesters set fire to KP Sharma’s personal residence and the presidential palace, as well as the residences of many ministers and important government buildings.
Reasons for protests in Nepal
The protests that began in the capital Kathmandu yesterday quickly spread to various cities in the Himalayan country. 19 people were killed yesterday and hundreds were injured. At least two more were killed today. A curfew was imposed in various cities including Kathmandu from yesterday. The army was deployed. But the people ignored all this and took to the streets yesterday.
26 social media and messaging apps were banned in Nepal from midnight last Thursday on various charges including spreading misinformation, false information and hatred. Earlier, the companies were given a week to register in accordance with Nepal’s laws.
But after five other apps including TikTok and Viber were registered, all the others were closed. This blocked access to apps and platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube or LinkedIn.
The government’s decision caused anger among Nepali youth. However, the hashtags ‘Nepo Kids’ and ‘Nepo Babies’ were popular in the country a few weeks before the closure of social media and other platforms. The social media ban was lifted last night in the face of the movement.
So the closure of social media from Thursday is not the main reason for the anti-government protests that began yesterday; rather, it is just an occasion. Other factors acted as catalysts.
