"Government Failed To Tackle Situation": Former Nepal Minister On Protests

The young people in Nepal are suffering from unemployment, which is at the bottom of the massive protests in which 19 people have died. What is now needed, said Nepal's former Foreign Minister NP Saud, is a legal solution. The young people say they are protesting against the shutting down of multiple social media platforms and institutionalised corruption.   

The unemployment, Mr Saud said in an exclusive interview to NDTV, has now increased.

"The shutting down of unregistered social media platforms has hit many people's education and employment. This has affected many people and people have become very angry," he said. 

Today's protest, Mr Saud said, happened because the situation "has not been properly tackled by the government".

"The government has not been receptive to people... If the government worked properly, this would not have happened... The situation is getting complicated. The people have requested the government to continue this," he said.

Thousands of young protestors hit the streets today after the Nepal government banned 26 social media apps -- including Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter). 

As the police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons, at least 19 protesters were killed.

Visuals from outside Nepal parliament showed thousands pushing through barbed wire, forcing the riot police to retreat. Waving national flags, the crowd raised slogans of "Stop the ban on social media, stop corruption not social media". 

Monday's rally was called the protest of Gen Z, generally referring to people born between 1995 and 2010.

Asked if anyone is talking to the protesters, he said a meeting of the cabinet and the security council is on.

"There is no formal proposal from the government. The members of parliament and the political party are asking the government to listen to the youth. They should talk to the youth and solve this problem," he said.