• Source:JND
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Nepal Protest: Nepal on Monday witnessed its deadliest protests in two decades, as security forces opened fire on demonstrators across multiple districts, leaving at least 19 people dead.

The death count, including a 12-year-old child, is the highest single-day toll since the movement that overthrew King Gyanendra in 2006 and ended the monarchy.

-PM denies uplifting ban: According to a report by NDTV, PM KP Sharma Oli has refused to lift the ban on 26 social media platforms, which was the main reason behind the massive unrest.

A Cabinet meeting was convened in which Health and Population Minister Pradeep Paudel suggested lifting the ban on but Oli defended the government decision.

-Probe panel formed: During the Cabinet meeting, PM Oli formed an investigation committee tasked with examining the causes of the unrest. "The committee has been given 15-day time to prepare the report and submit it, looking into the aspects of how the situation escalated and the possible factors behind it. TOR (Terms of Reference) has been drafted accordingly," a source told ANI.

-Home Minister Resigns: Following the bloodshed in protest, Nepal's Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned from his post, submitting his resignation to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during the emergency cabinet meeting. He resigned on moral grounds.

- The protests started at around 9:00 AM with demonstrators gathered at Maitighar in Kathmandu, voicing their dissent against the ban on 26 social media apps and broader governance issues, especially corruption.

The unrest quickly turned violent after protestors attempted to barge into the Parliament building, setting fire to its entrance. Police resorted to water cannons, tear gas, and live ammunition from inside the building to disperse the crowd. Seventeen people were killed in Kathmandu alone, while two deaths were recorded in Sunsari district.

- Following the deterioration in law and order, the government imposed curfews across several districts to curb further unrest. In Rupandehi, the administration enforced curfews in Butwal and Bhairahawa from 4 PM to 10 PM, restricting gatherings, rallies, protests, meetings, and sit-ins within designated zones. In Sunsari district, curfew was ordered around Itahari's main square from 3:30 PM until further notice, reflecting the intensity of the protests outside Kathmandu.

- The deadly protest drew international concern, with Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nepal, expressing deep sorrow over the deaths and injuries. Taking to Facebook, she extended condolences to the families of the deceased and urged all parties to exercise restraint and vigilance. She called on the government to ensure a safe and peaceful environment.

- Amnesty International also called for a probe into the violence, and said live ammunition had been used against protesters.

Nepal's opposition has also slammed the government, demanding the resignation of PM Oli. Opposition parties, including CPN (Maoist Centre) and CPN (Unified Socialist), have demanded resignation.

- Amid grim situation in Nepal, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in India has issued an alert along the India-Nepal border, news agency ANI quoted top sources as saying.

The country's guarding force along the Nepal border has intensified vigilance and is closely monitoring the situation to prevent any spillover of unrest into Indian territory.

Although the alert is of a preventive nature and the situation remains under control for now but to prevent any spillover effect of the crisis in the neighbouring country, the SSB has beefed up the alertness.