Nepal Home Minister Ramesh Lakha resigns amid deadly Gen-Z protests

Nepal’s Home Minister Ramesh Lakha resigned on Monday evening (September 8) following nationwide protests that left at least 19 people dead and hundreds injured.

He submitted his resignation to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during an emergency cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu, according to The Kathmandu Post.

A minister present at the meeting said 17 people were killed in Kathmandu and two in Itahari, while more than 400 others were injured in the clashes.

Ramesh Lakha stepped down, citing “moral responsibility” for the deaths in the youth-led protests against corruption and the government’s ban on social media platforms.

Earlier in the day, Nepali Congress leaders Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma publicly demanded his resignation, accusing him of failing to prevent the casualties.

Though party president Sher Bahadur Deuba remained silent, Lakha announced his decision at the meeting and later handed his resignation to the prime minister.

Appointed home minister on July 15 last year, Lakha faced his biggest crisis on Monday when thousands of Gen-Z demonstrators flooded the capital, demanding accountability and the lifting of the ban on Facebook, X, YouTube, and other platforms. The protests quickly spread to major cities.

Authorities imposed curfews in several districts and deployed the army as violence escalated. Police used water cannons, rubber bullets, and tear gas, later resorting to live fire to disperse crowds. By evening, at least 19 people were confirmed dead and hundreds were being treated in hospitals, many with critical gunshot wounds.