Nepal plunged deeper into political crisis on Tuesday as finance minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel was publicly chased and assaulted by protesters amid nationwide demonstrations led by the ‘Gen Z’ movement. The unrest, sparked by widespread anger over corruption and a now-reversed social media ban, has resulted in at least 19 deaths and more than 300 injuries.A video widely circulating on social media shows finance minister Paudel running on a public road in apparent panic, as a group of demonstrators pursue and physically attack him. At least one protester is seen kicking the minister, while others join in, forcing him to flee for safety. In another video shared on social media, former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, current foreign minister Arju Rana Deuba, appeared to be injured as their residence was attacked by protesters. The extent of their injuries remains unclear.The incidents came just hours after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced his resignation following mounting pressure from protesters and the torching of his residence. “I have resigned from the post of Prime Minister with effect from today… in order to take further steps towards a political solution,” Oli said in a brief statement.Four other ministers in Oli’s government have also stepped down in response to the unrest.The protests, spearheaded by Nepal’s youth under the ‘Gen Z’ banner, erupted earlier this week over alleged government corruption and the controversial temporary ban on social media platforms. Despite the government revoking the ban on Monday night, protests have escalated into violent confrontations.In a statement issued Monday, the ‘Gen Z’ protest group demanded the immediate dissolution of Parliament, the suspension of officials involved in giving violent orders during protests, and the formation of an interim government led by a representative nominated by protesters. They also called for early elections and systemic political reform.Note: The Times of India was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the videos shared on social media.
