Nepal’s prime minister steps down as protests rage on

Nepal’s prime minister resigned Tuesday as protests against a short-lived ban on social media grew increasingly violent and expanded into broader criticism of his government and accusations of corruption among the Himalayan country’s political elite.

- BINAJ GURUBACHARYA

A MAN hangs a pirate flag as smoke and flames rise from a government building in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The resignation appeared to have little effect on the demonstrations. Tens of thousands of protesters remained on the streets late in the day, blocking roads, storming government buildings and setting them onfire, and, in some cases, attacking political leaders. Army helicopters ferried some ministers to safe places.

A day earlier, demonstrations led by young people angry about the blocking of several social media sites gripped the country’s capital, and police opened fired onthe crowds, killing 19 people.

The ban was lifted Tuesday, but the protests continued, fueled by anger over the deaths and growing frustration with the political elite in the nation wedged between China and India.

As the protests intensified, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli announced he was stepping down. The president accepted the resignation and appointed Oli to lead a caretaker government until a new one is in place — though it was unclear what power he would wield or even where he was.

President Ram Chandra Poudel, the ceremonial head of state, appealed to the protesters to engage in dialogue to find a peaceful resolution and stop further escalation. The army also issued a statement calling for calm and urging political dialogue.