Political instability in Nepal has further intensified. On September 9, the country’s Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel was beaten by mass demonstrators. This was reported by NDTV. Videos circulated on the internet show the 65-year-old minister running through the streets of Kathmandu, being chased by hundreds of angry people. One young protester kicked the minister, causing him to lose his balance, hit a wall, and fall to the ground.
According to the publication “Khabarhub,” in addition to the minister, former Prime Minister and Congress Party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife were also attacked. It was also reported that demonstrators entered the territory of the presidential residence. These events show that political and social tension in the country is further increasing.
Over the past two days, a wave of mass protests has escalated in Kathmandu. The reason for this is indicated as the government’s restriction of social networks and messengers. It should be recalled that from September 4, services such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram were temporarily blocked in Nepal. According to officials, they had not completed mandatory registration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. However, the population considered this as censorship and is demanding transparency and freedom from the government.
According to “The Himalayan Times,” more than 500 people were injured to varying degrees during the protests. To control the situation in the city, the authorities imposed a curfew around the parliament and in central squares. But these measures also did not help to contain the anger of the people.
In response to the large-scale wave of discontent and spreading violence, four ministers in the government — of Internal Affairs, Agriculture, Health, and Water Supply — were forced to resign. Thus, the political crisis within Nepal’s government deepened even further.
Prime Minister Sharma Oli announced that an inter-party meeting would be held at 18:00 local time. However, after new clashes broke out in central Kathmandu, President Ramchandra Paudel decided to dismiss Sharma Oli.
These events in Nepal indicate that serious changes may occur in the country’s political system. Popular discontent, which has turned into an uprising, has put the government under severe test. Now attention is focused on completely renewed political processes.
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