Bloodshed Forces Nepal To Roll Back Social Media Ban; 19 Dead, Home Minister Quits | World News

Katmandu: Following the violent protests that killed 19 people and dozens of wounded, the Nepal government abolished the extensive social media ban. Interior Minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned on Monday, stating the moral responsibility of deaths.

Prime Minister KP Sharma confirmed his turn. “We will ensure the favorable use of social media,” he said.

The ban entered into force on Friday and interrupted 26 platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, WhatsApp, Reddit, LinkedIn and Messenger. There was only a handful of applications such as Tiktok, Viber, Wetalk and Telegram.

The closure was followed by a Supreme Court Directive, who ordered to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technologies, to appoint local officers and to establish complaint systems for Nepal users. Mismatch meant automatic deactivation.

The dimming quickly triggered mass shows. The crowds rose to a limited area near Parliament with some scaling compound walls. Conflicts with the security forces exploded and wounded the scores.

Civil Hospital Information Officer Ranjana Nepal confirmed that the emergency ward was full of injured protesters.

Authorities imposed a curfew to the Kathmandu center, including Singha Durbar, the Singha Durbar, the Parliament Region, the Presidential residence and the Prime Ministry complex.

The cabinet decided to restore access on Monday. Minister of Information and Communication Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung, the decision was unanimously accepted, he said. “It was decided to open social networks because there was an agitation that uses this as an excuse,” he said.

The restrictions worried about groups of rights. While the Conservation Committee of the Journalists condemned the darkening as a direct strike on a free expression, Access has now warned about censorship without transparency.

The dispute returns to petitions that defit the indifferent foreign platforms that were opened for the first time in 2020 and broadcast content in Nepal. This case has produced the directive of making social media, 2080, registration and more strict surveillance compulsory.

Parliament is now discussing a separate social media bill that will impose fines and possible imprisonment for tasks accepted against “national interest”.

The ban for ordinary Nepalists was immediately felt: Frozen timeline, lost work access and families who cannot reach relatives abroad. The crisis marked Nepal’s first darkening of major social platforms throughout the country, but forced the government to withdraw the government that ended only after bloodshed.