Protests Rock Nepal: Home Minister Resigns, Curfew Imposed

Thousands of youth, including school students, stage demonstration in front of Parliament over social media ban; army deployed in the capital

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

At least 19 people were killed and more than 300 others injured on Monday after police used force during protests by youths that rocked the Nepalese capital and other parts of the country over the government's ban on social media sites, officials said.

Thousands of youths, including school students, under the banner of Gen Z, converged in front of Parliament in the heart of Kathmandu and shouted anti-government slogans demanding immediate revocation of the ban. The protests spread to Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Bharatpur, Itahari and Damak.

Nepal Police spokesperson Binod Ghimire said 17 people were killed in clashes in various parts of Kathmandu during the rally, and two protesters died in Sunsari district of eastern Nepal in police firing.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, who represents the Nepali Congress party in the coalition government led by Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, has resigned on moral grounds, the Nepali Congress sources said.

The Nepali Army was deployed in the capital after the situation intensified during the protest. The army personnel have taken control of the roads surrounding the parliament complex in New Baneshwor.

The demonstration turned violent when some protesters entered the Parliament complex, prompting police to use water cannons, tear gas, and live rounds to disperse crowds, eyewitnesses said.

Citing hospital officials,