'Won't bow down before Gen Z...': Nepal PM refuses to lift ban, calls emergency meeting as coalition splits
The Oli government banned Facebook, WhatsApp, X, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms last Thursday, citing their failure to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.
- Sep 8, 2025,
- Updated Sep 8, 2025 9:32 PM IST
Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Monday refused to reverse his government's ban on 26 social media platforms despite mounting protests and political fallout, calling demonstrators "Gen Z troublemakers."
At a Cabinet meeting in Baluwatar, Oli declared that the government's decision was "correct" and ordered all ministers to defend it publicly. Ministers from the Nepali Congress, part of the ruling coalition, demanded the ban be removed but walked out of the meeting after Oli's firm rejection. The Prime Minister later convened an emergency meeting of the coalition to address the crisis.
The Oli government banned Facebook, WhatsApp, X, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms last Thursday, citing their failure to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. Officials argued the move was meant to regulate digital businesses, but critics warned it was a step toward censorship and an attack on free speech.
"This move of the government also poses the risk of Nepal falling behind the world digitally," Sunaina Ghimire, president of the Computer Association of Nepal, said in a statement. Dozens of journalists rallied at Maitighar Mandala in central Kathmandu on Sunday, demanding the ban be lifted.
On Monday, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned, citing moral responsibility after police opened fire on Gen Z–led protests in Kathmandu and Itahari, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 400. "Shut down corruption and not social media," protesters shouted as they carried the national flag and marched through the capital. Lekhak, who took office in July, handed his resignation to Oli after senior Congress leaders Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma called for his exit.
The protests, described as the "Gen Z Revolution," began online but have since swept across Nepal. Thousands of young people, many in school and college uniforms, breached police barricades near Parliament, prompting security forces to open fire. Authorities imposed curfews in Kathmandu and several other cities, including Bhairahawa on the Indian border.
Eyewitnesses said the protests had expanded beyond Gen Z. "The protest is against the pent-up anger against misgovernance and corruption in the nation. The protest has evolved into a wider civil rights movement demanding accountability and change," Suhana told India Today TV.
As the crisis deepened, the government deployed the Nepal Army in the capital to enforce order. A high-level meeting of the National Security Council was held at Oli’s residence, attended by senior ministers, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal and Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel.
Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Monday refused to reverse his government's ban on 26 social media platforms despite mounting protests and political fallout, calling demonstrators "Gen Z troublemakers."
At a Cabinet meeting in Baluwatar, Oli declared that the government's decision was "correct" and ordered all ministers to defend it publicly. Ministers from the Nepali Congress, part of the ruling coalition, demanded the ban be removed but walked out of the meeting after Oli's firm rejection. The Prime Minister later convened an emergency meeting of the coalition to address the crisis.
The Oli government banned Facebook, WhatsApp, X, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms last Thursday, citing their failure to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. Officials argued the move was meant to regulate digital businesses, but critics warned it was a step toward censorship and an attack on free speech.
"This move of the government also poses the risk of Nepal falling behind the world digitally," Sunaina Ghimire, president of the Computer Association of Nepal, said in a statement. Dozens of journalists rallied at Maitighar Mandala in central Kathmandu on Sunday, demanding the ban be lifted.
On Monday, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned, citing moral responsibility after police opened fire on Gen Z–led protests in Kathmandu and Itahari, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 400. "Shut down corruption and not social media," protesters shouted as they carried the national flag and marched through the capital. Lekhak, who took office in July, handed his resignation to Oli after senior Congress leaders Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma called for his exit.
The protests, described as the "Gen Z Revolution," began online but have since swept across Nepal. Thousands of young people, many in school and college uniforms, breached police barricades near Parliament, prompting security forces to open fire. Authorities imposed curfews in Kathmandu and several other cities, including Bhairahawa on the Indian border.
Eyewitnesses said the protests had expanded beyond Gen Z. "The protest is against the pent-up anger against misgovernance and corruption in the nation. The protest has evolved into a wider civil rights movement demanding accountability and change," Suhana told India Today TV.
As the crisis deepened, the government deployed the Nepal Army in the capital to enforce order. A high-level meeting of the National Security Council was held at Oli’s residence, attended by senior ministers, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal and Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel.