KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 8

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned on Monday evening, taking moral responsibility for the deadly crackdown on Gen Z protests against corruption and the government's social media ban.

Lekhak submitted his resignation during a cabinet meeting at Baluwatar, chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

His resignation comes after at least 19 people were killed in Kathmandu and Itahari when police opened fire on protesters earlier in the day. Hospitals across the Valley and Sunsari district reported hundreds of injuries, including demonstrators, journalists, and security personnel.

Authorities had earlier imposed curfews in several major cities, including Kathmandu, Pokhara, Butwal–Bhairahawa, and Itahari, in a bid to contain the spiraling protests.

Lekhak had faced intense pressure from both inside and outside his party following what many have described as one of Nepal's deadliest crackdowns in recent years.