A youth faction in Nepal led by Sudan Gurung mounted a late-night protest outside interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki’s official residence in Baluwatar on Sunday.
The demonstrators called for Karki’s resignation over what they described as an “arbitrary” cabinet formation and specifically targeted the appointment of Om Prakash (Omprakash) Aryal as Home Minister, reported CNN-News18, quoting top sources in Nepal.
Members of the group gathered outside the prime minister’s residence chanting slogans against Aryal’s selection. They questioned why “someone who came as a facilitator” was chosen for such a key post. The group also warned that the ongoing movement had been “hijacked” and urged others not to derail it, said sources.
Sudan Gurung issued a direct warning to Karki. “We were the ones who made you the prime minister,” he said. “If this continues, we also can remove you.”
Karki last Friday became Nepal's first woman prime minister to lead an interim government, ending days of political uncertainty after the K P Sharma Oli dispensation was forced to quit in the face of a nation-wide agitation triggered by a social media ban.
Karki was chosen to lead the interim government after a meeting between President Paudel, Nepal's top military brass, and the youth protesters, who spearheaded the anti-government protests.
The major demands by the Gen Z protesters included checking corruption, ending political disorder, and nepotism.
The students-led "Gen Z" protests that began against a government ban on social media expanded into a larger campaign reflecting growing public criticism of the Oli dispensation and the country's political elite over alleged corruption and apathy towards the common people.
Indian intelligence voices concern over instability
Indian intelligence sources told CNN-News18 that the youth-led unrest and open threats to remove the interim prime minister could heighten instability in Nepal.
“Contest over the Home Ministry and possible politicisation of security forces raises risks of weakened policing and spillover of unrest. This is increasing chances of smuggling or militant infiltration across the porous Indo-Nepal border. Gen Z groups claiming decisive power over government appointments suggest emergence of parallel authority structures. This will bypass institutional politics and pose a challenge to India’s reliance on formal state counterparts,” said the sources.
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