Nepal reimposes curfew in Kathmandu Valley; Agriculture Minister resigns
text_fields
Kathmandu: Authorities in Nepal on Tuesday reimposed a curfew across the Kathmandu Valley as sporadic protests continued against the government’s violent response to Monday’s Gen Z demonstrations, which claimed at least 19 lives.
The local administrations of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts reintroduced sweeping restrictions from early morning, barring public movement, assemblies, rallies, sit-ins and demonstrations at key entry points to the core urban areas.
According to the Kathmandu District Administration Office (DAO), the curfew will remain in force until further notice within the boundaries of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Effective from 8.30 am on Tuesday, it prohibits people from moving, assembling, demonstrating, organising gatherings or staging sit-ins. Security personnel will, however, allow movement of vehicles providing essential services — including ambulances, fire trucks, hearses, health workers, journalists, tourist vehicles, vehicles of human rights and diplomatic missions, and air passengers with valid tickets.
The Lalitpur DAO also issued a series of prohibitory orders across various parts of the district on the recommendation of its District Security Committee, citing the risk of violent activities, riots and unrest affecting public peace and security. Similar curfew orders have been enforced by the Bhaktapur DAO.
The move follows extraordinary violence on Monday, when protests against the government’s handling of the Gen Z movement turned deadly. Demonstrations broke out again in different parts of Kathmandu Valley early Tuesday, while people vented their anger on social media, branding the KP Sharma Oli-led administration a “murderer government.”
Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned on Monday in the wake of the killings, while the government quietly lifted its social media ban without any formal announcement. On Tuesday, Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister Ram Nath Adhikari also stepped down, saying in a statement that he could not remain in office while “witnessing the pain of the nation” caused by state violence. He warned that the state’s actions had raised “the question if the current government is headed towards a totalitarian system.”
Prime Minister Oli, in a late-night statement on Monday, blamed “infiltration of unwanted groups” in the protests for the bloodshed.
Meanwhile, several embassies based in Kathmandu — including those of Australia, Finland, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, and the United States — issued a joint statement urging all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid further escalation, and ensure the protection of fundamental rights.
With IANS inputs
