Nepal PM resigns after ‘Gen Z’ protests spread; Parliament set on fire, former PM assaulted | World News

Nepal’s Prime Miner K P Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday as the political crisis in the country worsened, amid a sharp escalation in the anti-government “Gen Z protests”, with protesters targeting the seats of government including Parliament and the Prime Miner’s Office and setting fire to the private residences of President Ram Chandra Poudel, Oli and some former Prime Miners among others.Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, the wife of former Prime Miner Jhalanath Khanal, who suffered burn injuries in the attack at their house, later died in hospital.
“In view of the adverse situation in the country, I have resigned effective today to facilitate the solution to the problem and to help resolve it politically in accordance with the Constitution,” Oli said in his resignation letter. Television visuals showed protesters barging into the compound of his private residence and ransacking the property, before setting it on fire. Oli, 73, was sworn in for his fourth term in July last year as the country’s 14th Prime Miner since 2008.
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Later in the day, ‘Next Gen Nepal’, one of the outfits behind the ongoing protests, called for “calm and discipline” and said while they were ready for dialogue, Parliament would have to be dissolved first. “Our participation and emotional solidarity is important for this movement, but at the same time, restraint and discipline are very important too. Loss of properties is the loss of our own property, therefore, be calm and disciplined. Our generation in now ready to take on the responsibility for the future, and for that, your patience and restraint will empower us. We are ready for dialogue, but dissolution of Parliament is a pre-condition,” it said in a post on social media.

Former Prime Miner and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, Commun Party of Nepal (Mao Centre) Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda and Ramesh Lekhak who resigned as Home Miner on Monday were among those whose houses were also set on fire. A private school, where Deuba’s wife and foreign miner, Arzu Deuba Rana, is the chair of the board of trustees, was also set on fire. A video on social media showed protesters capturing Deuba and his wife from their residence in Budhanilkantha area. The couple sustained minor injuries in the assault.
Protesters celebrate at the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal’s government’s various minries and offices, after burning it down during a protest against a social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
The protesters also set fire to the miners’ quarters in Bhainsepati; Army helicopters ferried some miners to safety. At least two of Oli’s close allies – Finance Miner Bishnu Poudel and parliamentarian Eknath Dhakal – were chased on the streets and stripped. Protesters also stormed the central jail in Nakkhu and freed Rabi Lamichhane, a former Deputy Prime Miner and Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, who was jailed for alleged corruption.
This came a day after 20 protesters were killed in police action on Monday. While the immediate trigger was the recent ban on over two dozen social media sites, which was revoked on Monday night, the ongoing protests have targeted the government over “rampant corruption” and sought accountability.Story continues below this ad

Oli’s resignation on Tuesday came hours after his appeal to the protesting youths to come for dialogue failed to get a response, and the Nepali Congress, an ally in the ruling coalition, sought to withdraw support. The President accepted Oli’s resignation and asked him to continue as the caretaker Prime Miner. But with both Poudel and Oli in hiding, Nepal has drifted into a situation of unprecedented chaos and uncertainty.
Meanwhile, former King Gyanendra Shah condoled the deaths and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. He also appealed to all sections to seek a solution.
Defying the indefinite curfew that was imposed on Monday, protesters hit the streets for the second day on Tuesday, setting fire to tyres, throwing stones at police personnel in riot gear and chasing them through narrow streets, and vandalising government buildings. “Punish the murders in government. Stop killing children,” the protesters chanted, referring to the deaths on Monday.
Protesters throng Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal’s government’s various minries and offices during a protest against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Kathmandu airport, Nepal’s main international gateway, was closed with immediate effect as smoke from fires near set protesters could endanger the safety of aircraft, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said.Story continues below this ad
“The protest was intended, first and foremost, against the rampant corruption in government,” a protester said in an email to Reuters. Young Nepalis had been putting out social media posts about the “luxurious lives of the families and children of corrupt politicians and civil servants” and the government responded clamping down on social media platforms, the email said.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Army on Tuesday urged protesters to remain calm and maintain national unity as it vowed to protect the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. “We are analysing the latest developments of the Gen Z movement,” it said in a statement. “Nepal Army is always committed to protect the interests and security of Nepalese people, and keeping the latest developments in mind, we express our commitment towards protecting the life and property of the people,” it said, as it requested “all the youths and the entire countrymen to remain calm and maintain social harmony and national unity so that the present situation doesn’t deteriorate further.”
The Nepal Army chief and other senior officials also issued a joint appeal, urging protesters to exercise restraint and resolve the crisis through dialogue. “As the Prime Miner’s resignation has already been accepted the President, we call upon all to restrain and not to allow more loss to life and property in this difficult situation… A peaceful resolution through dialogue is the only way to restore order and stability,” they said.
A protester waves a national flag as vehicles burn during a protest against a social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Those who signed the statement included Nepal Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, Home Secretary Gokarna Dawadi, Armed Police Force Chief Raju Aryal, Inspector General of Police Chandra Kuber Khapung and National Investigation Department Chief Hutraj Thapa.Story continues below this ad
On September 4, the Nepal government had banned over two dozen social media sites, including Facebook, WhatsApp, X, Instagram and YouTube, for failing to reger with the Minry of Communication and Information Technology within the given deadline. While the government had said the social media sites were banned to bring them under regulation, protesters called it an attack on free speech. The ban was revoked on Monday night.
With agencies, Kathmandu