Nepal’s Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned on Monday following the deadly escalation of protests in Kathmandu and Itahari, which left 19 dead and over 400 injured. The youth-led Gen-Z protests, demanding accountability and reforms in governance, turned violent, with clashes erupting across major cities.
During a Cabinet meeting at Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s residence in Baluwatar, Lekhak submitted his resignation, citing moral responsibility for the violence. A minister present at the meeting confirmed the resignation, noting that Lekhak had stepped down due to his failure to control the situation during the protests, which have sparked growing calls for political reforms, reports Kathmandu Post.
Earlier in the day, two prominent members of the Nepali Congress, Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, publicly demanded Lekhak’s resignation. They criticized his handling of the crisis, with Thapa and Sharma leading calls for accountability. Though Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba did not comment on the issue, Lekhak informed the party of his decision before attending the Cabinet meeting.
Appointed as Home Minister in July 2024, Lekhak’s resignation follows heightened political pressure. The situation worsened on Monday when police opened fire on the demonstrators, leading to further escalation and widespread condemnation of the government’s response to the unrest.
