Last Updated on 9 September 2025 by BIZNAMA NEWS
Posted on .Kathmandu:
The Nepal government has rolled back its controversial ban on social media platforms after violent youth-led protests left at least 19 people dead and more than 300 injured.
Minister for Communication, Information and Broadcasting Prithvi Subba Gurung announced the decision following an emergency Cabinet meeting. He said agencies have been instructed to restore access to platforms such as Facebook, X, and WhatsApp, in line with demands raised by the ‘Gen Z’ movement that staged mass demonstrations outside Parliament in Kathmandu.
The government had imposed a ban on 26 social media sites three days earlier, citing their failure to register locally. Tensions boiled over when protesters stormed the Parliament complex, forcing police to deploy water cannons, tear gas, and live ammunition to disperse crowds.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has pledged to set up an investigation committee into the crackdown, promising compensation to families of the deceased and free medical treatment for the injured. Authorities had earlier imposed curfews in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Butwal-Bhairahawa, and Itahari as the unrest spread.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned on moral grounds amid mounting criticism over what observers describe as one of Nepal’s deadliest crackdowns in recent years.
