• Source:JND
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Nepal Gen Z protests 2025: Nepal has been engulfed in a critical political and social crisis as protests across the country against corruption and ineffectiveness of the government have escalated to become a movement against the lavish lifestyles of politicians' children, commonly known as "nepo kids.

The protests, led primarily by Gen Z, intensified after a temporary ban on social media. The unrest quickly turned into violent altercations within days, compelling Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to step down. The police crackdown resulted in at least 34 fatalities and over 1,000 injuries. Several government establishments, including Parliament, were destroyed by flames, while houses of top political figures were targeted across Kathmandu and other urban centers.

Anger Against 'Nepo Kids'

At the core of the protests lies growing resentment among young Nepalis who face unemployment, rising inflation, and poverty, while the children of political leaders flaunt wealth online. Viral posts and hashtags such as #PoliticiansNepoBabyNepal and #NepoBabies have attracted millions of views across TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, and X.

Photos of luxury cars, designer apparel, lakhs' worth of handbags, fine dining overseas, and foreign vacations have been circulated with images of regular citizens wading through floods, dealing with electricity blackouts, and facing skyrocketing food prices.

Some of the people targeted by Gen Z include:

• Shrinkhala Khatiwada – Ex-Miss Nepal and daughter of former health minister Birodh Khatiwada. Viral posts highlighted her foreign vacations. Her residence was vandalized, and she lost more than one lakh followers on Instagram, it is said.
• Shivana Shrestha – Renowned singer and Sher Bahadur Deuba's daughter-in-law. She is famous for posting videos of luxurious houses and pricey clothing.
• Smita Dahal – Granddaughter of Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda." Slammed for showing off lakhs of rupees worth of handbags on social media.
• Saugat Thapa – Son of Law Minister Bindu Kumar Thapa. His pictures amidst luxury goods went viral amidst the protests.

Corruption And Inequality Fuel Discontent

As per Transparency International, Nepal is still Asia's most corrupt country. There have been reports of massive embezzlement worth more than USD 71 million at the time of building Pokhara International Airport. Leaders selling refugee quotas reserved for Bhutan's displaced ethnic Nepalis was another big scandal.

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• Lack of accountability: Few corruption cases have resulted in prosecution.
• Profound inequality: Half of the Nepalis are living under the poverty line, and yet political clans flaunt crores of wealth.
• Clampdown on social media: When the government banned platforms for a short duration, it was perceived as an effort to muzzle dissent, infuriating the youth further.

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The protests reflect years of frustration with entrenched corruption and nepotism. The stark contrast between privilege among elites and everyday hardship has become a uniting battle cry among young Nepalis.“The contrast between political elites flaunting wealth and ordinary people fighting for survival has struck a deep chord with Gen Z,” noted Raqib Naik, executive director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate in Washington, in remarks to The New York Times.