The protests that began in Nepal under the leadership of the youth have now taken a violent turn. The protesters set the Parliament House on fire and attacked government buildings and houses of leaders. The 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 worsened to such an extent 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. Seeing 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.

Army appeals for calm

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

General Sigdel expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery. But despite this, the anger on the streets shows no sign of subsiding. Thousands of protesters are still on the streets, roads are blocked and attacks on government offices continue.

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

Vigilance on the Indian 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 cancelled due to unrest in Nepal. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the violence. He wrote in Nepali on Twitter, "The death of 19 youths is heartbreaking. Peace and stability in Nepal is very important. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace."

Russia also expressed concern

The world is watching this unrest in Nepal. Russia has 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 now and there are no reports of casualties among Russian citizens.

Looting in the guise of protests

The Nepal Army issued a statement saying that "Taking undue advantage of the prevailing grave situation, some groups are causing extensive damage to civilians 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 action.

Air India and Indigo flights cancelled

Air India and IndiGo on Tuesday cancelled their flights between Delhi and Kathmandu in view of the chaos descending in neighbouring Nepal due to the Jan Ji protests.

Air India said in a statement, "In view of the current situation in Kathmandu, flights on the Delhi-Kathmandu-Delhi route have been cancelled. These flights include AI 2231/2232, AI 2219/2220, AI 217/218 and AI 211/212."

IndiGo said, "We are closely monitoring the developments and coordinating with local authorities to resume operations at the earliest. Customers are advised to keep checking our official channels for the latest updates. We look forward to the resumption of normal operations and thank you for your patience."

PC:Jagran