Nepal Army Takes Command, Flights Cancelled

The youth-led protests in Nepal have now taken a violent turn. The protesters set the Parliament House on fire and attacked government buildings and the houses of leaders. Violence flared up after the ban on social media, in which 19 people lost their lives. Even after the resignation of the Prime Minister, peace has not been restored and the army has been deployed.

The protests led by the youth on the streets of Nepal had turned into a violent rebellion. On Tuesday, the situation deteriorated so much that the protesters set the Parliament House on fire. Government buildings, houses of leaders and even the gate of Pashupatinath temple were attacked. After this, the army had to take charge.

The social media ban was lifted, but the death of 19 people added fuel to the fire. In view of the violent protests, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned, but peace did not return to the streets. The army had to be deployed and the situation is still out of control.

These protests did not emerge suddenly. Nepal has been a victim of corruption and political games for a long time. The public, especially the new generation, was fed up. The ban on social media further fuelled their anger. On Monday, 19 people were killed in police firing.

After this, the protests became more violent on Tuesday. Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was attacked and former PM Jhalanath Khanal's wife Rajlakshmi Chitrakar was burnt alive on the road.

The army appealed for peace

Seeing the situation going out of control, the Nepal Army took charge. From Tuesday night, the army took control of important government bases like Tribhuvan International Airport and Singha Durbar in Kathmandu. Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel appealed to the protesters for peace in a video statement. He said, "We have to get the country out of this difficult time together. Violence will only cause harm. Adopt the path of dialogue."

General Sigdel expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. But despite this, the anger on the streets is not subsiding. Thousands of protesters are still on the streets, roads are blocked and attacks on government offices continue.

Army helicopters took some ministers to safe places, but the situation is still delicate. President Ram Chandra Paudel also appealed to the protesters for peace and dialogue.

Vigilance on India's border, people stranded in Kathmandu
This unrest in Nepal is also affecting India. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered to tighten security on the Nepal border.

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and police have been put on high alert in border districts like Champawat, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar. Special arrangements have also been made to monitor rumors and inflammatory material on social media. On the other hand, 39 people from Karnataka are stranded at Kathmandu airport. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed to take immediate steps for their safe return.

Hundreds of flights have been canceled due to unrest in Nepal. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over this violence. He wrote in Nepali on Twitter, "The death of 19 youths is heartbreaking. Nepal's peace and stability is very important. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace."

Russia also expressed concern

The world is watching this unrest in Nepal. Russia also expressed concern over this crisis and appealed for a peaceful solution. The Russian Foreign Ministry said, "We are monitoring the situation in Nepal. These protests have now turned into riots. We want Nepal to return to normal as soon as possible."

Russia has advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Nepal. There is peace around the Russian Embassy right now and there is no news of any Russian citizen being injured.

Looting under the guise of protests
The Nepal Army issued a statement saying that "taking undue advantage of the current serious situation, some groups are causing extensive damage to citizens and public property, including looting and arson."

The army reiterated its appeal to stop such activities. The army said in a statement that if such activities are not stopped, we will take strict measures.