Nepal parliament set on fire by protesters after PM resigns

Nepal parliament building in the capital Kathmandu was on Tuesday torched by angry protesters following the deaths of 19anti-corruption protesters in clashes with police on Monday.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has resigned amid Nepal’s worst unrest in decades as public anger mounts.

Government buildings and the houses of political leaders were also attacked around the country, BBC reports.

Three more deaths were reported on Tuesday. Amid the chaos, jail officials said 900 inmates managed to escape from two prisons in Nepal’s western districts.

The demonstrations were triggered by a ban on social media platforms. It was lifted on Monday, but by then protests had swelled into a mass movement.

Nepal’s army chief issued a statement late on Tuesday accusing demonstrators of taking advantage of the current crisis by damaging, looting and setting fire to public and private property.

It said if unrest continued, “all security institutions, including the Nepal Army, are committed to taking control of the situation,” effective from 22:00 local time (16:15 GMT; 17:15 BST), without detailing what this might entail.

While the prime minister has stepped down, it’s not clear who will replace him, or what happens next, with seemingly no one in charge. Some leaders, including ministers, have reportedly taken refuge with the security forces.

So far, the protesters have not spelt out their demands apart from rallying under the broader anti-corruption call. The protests appear spontaneous, with no organised leadership.

Inside parliament, there were jubilant scenes as hundreds of protesters danced and chanted slogans around a fire at the entrance to the building, many holding Nepal’s flag.

Some entered the building, where all the windows have been smashed. Graffiti and anti-government messages have been spray-painted on the exterior.

Kathmandu resident Muna Shreshta, 20, was among the large crowd outside parliament.

Corruption has been a long-term issue, she told the BBC, adding that it is “high time our nation, our prime minister, and anyone in power change, because we need to change”.

“It has happened now, and we are more than happy to witness this and fight for this. I hope this change will bring something that is positive to us.”

Ms Shreshta thinks taxes paid by working people need to be used in ways that will help the country grow.

Last week, Nepal’s government ordered authorities to block 26 social media platforms for not complying with a deadline to register.

Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook have millions of users in Nepal, who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.

The government justified its ban in the name of tackling fake news, hate speech and online fraud.