Nepal’s Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has stepped down in the wake of violent youth-led protests that left 19 people dead and more than 400 injured.
Lekhak submitted his resignation to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during a Cabinet meeting at the PM’s residence in Baluwatar on Monday evening.
A minister present at the meeting said he quit on “moral grounds” following the bloodshed, which saw 17 people killed in Kathmandu and two in Itahari.
Earlier in the day, Nepali Congress leaders Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma openly demanded his resignation during the party’s office bearers’ meeting.
While party president Sher Bahadur Deuba remained silent, Lekhak announced his intention to step down before heading to the Cabinet session.
Lekhak, who was appointed Home Minister on 15 July 2024, faced mounting pressure after police opened fire on demonstrators during the so-called “Gen Z protests.”
The movement, led by young Nepalis calling for accountability and sweeping governance reforms, has spread rapidly across major cities.
Monday’s escalation in Kathmandu and other urban centres turned deadly, intensifying political tensions and placing the government under severe strain.