The Nepal government has withdrawn its earlier decision to ban social media sites after violent protests by youths that left at least 19 people dead and over 300 injured. Nepal Minister for Communication, Information and Broadcasting Prithvi Subba Gurung announced that the government has withdrawn its earlier decision to ban social media sites following an emergency meeting of the Cabinet. Gurung said the ministry has ordered the concerned agencies to start the process of resuming the social media sites as per the demands of the ‘Gen Z’, which spearheaded a massive protest in front of the Parliament in the heart of Kathmandu.
Three days ago, the Nepal government ordered to ban of 26 social media sites, including Facebook and ‘X’, over their failure to register with the Nepal government. The demonstration turned violent yesterday when some protesters entered the Parliament complex, prompting police to use water cannons, tear gas, and live rounds to disperse crowds. Meanwhile, social media sites such as Facebook, ‘X’ and WhatsApp have come back into operation from last night.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli promised to form an investigation committee to scrutinise the deadly incident that happened during the protest. He said that the family of the deceased will be provided relief, and free treatment of the injured will be provided. Authorities had earlier imposed curfews in several major cities, including Kathmandu, Pokhara, Butwal-Bhairahawa, and Itahari, in a bid to contain the spiralling protests. Nepal’s Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak tendered his resignation on moral grounds. He had faced intense pressure from both inside and outside his party following what many have described as one of Nepal’s deadliest crackdowns in recent years.
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