Nepal’s Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak stepped down from his post on Monday (September 8). In the evening, he tendered his resignation to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during a cabinet meeting held at the PM’s official residence in Baluwatar. According to a cabinet member, Lekhak took the decision on moral grounds after 19 people lost their lives—17 in Kathmandu and 2 in Itahari—while over 400 others were injured during the protests.

Earlier in the day, Nepali Congress General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma demanded his resignation during a meeting at the party headquarters. While Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba did not comment, Lekhak himself expressed his intention to step down. Later, he formally submitted his resignation during the cabinet meeting. Notably, he had assumed the position of Home Minister on July 15, 2024.

The Gen Z-led protests had escalated across several Nepali cities, including the capital Kathmandu. As demonstrations spread, police opened fire to control the situation, resulting in heavy casualties. The incident intensified political pressure on the government and triggered fresh debates in Nepal’s political arena.

Source: AFP