Nepal crisis spirals: Army Chief advises PM KP Oli to step aside for stability

Nepal's political crisis has entered a new phase after Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel reportedly advised Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign, saying the military could only stabilise the escalating unrest if he relinquished power.

Army sources told India Today that Oli had reached out to Sigdel on Tuesday, requesting assistance to secure his safe exit from his Baluwatar residence. Instead, the Army Chief is understood to have told him that the situation could not be brought under control without his stepping down.

The call came as violence engulfed Kathmandu and other cities. Gen Z protesters set fire to Kathmandu's Hilton hotel, owned by a ruling party leader, after vandalising its façade. They also torched the Nepali Congress headquarters in Sanepa and stormed the Communist Party offices, pulling down the hammer-and-sickle emblem.

Residences of senior leaders, including President Ram Chandra Paudel, Prime Minister Oli, Maoist Centre chairman Prachanda, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, and former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba, were attacked, vandalised, or set ablaze.

Tribhuvan International Airport was shut down, cancelling all flights, as army helicopters evacuated ministers from their official residences. Over 300 military personnel have been deployed to secure the airport. Sources confirmed that preparations are underway for Oli’s evacuation, with Himalaya Airlines kept on standby for a possible flight to Dubai, officially described as for medical treatment.

Amid the chaos, three ministers have resigned. Health Minister Pradip Paudel stepped down Tuesday, following Agriculture Minister Ramnath Adhikari and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, who both quit citing moral responsibility for Monday's violence that left 19 protesters dead and over 300 injured.

The protests, driven by Nepal's Gen Z, began against the government's decision to ban 26 social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, X and YouTube. Despite Prime Minister Oli branding the demonstrators “Gen Z troublemakers” and “puppets,” the government was forced into a climbdown late Monday night. Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung announced that the ban was withdrawn after an emergency Cabinet meeting.

The rollback has failed to stem anger. Protesters continue to target homes and offices of ruling leaders across the country, with violence spreading from Kathmandu to Pokhara, Butwal, Janakpur and Bharatpur.