Former Nepal Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal’s Wife Dies as Their House was Set Ablaze by Protestors

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Violent protests are ongoing in Nepal due to the government's ban on several social media apps. Recently, during these protests carried out mainly by Genz, the former prime minister, Jhalanath Khanal’s wife, Rabi Laxmi Chitrakar, died. The protestors set her house on fire while she was inside. She was severely burned and taken to a hospital; however, the doctors could not save her.

The Violent Genz Protests Continue for the 2nd Day

Despite the official revocation of the ban on social media platforms, protests went on with the same intensity for the 2nd day, shocking the entire world. It has been reported that the Genz protestors trapped Rabi Laxmi Chitrakar in her house and set it on fire on Tuesday. This heartbreaking incident occurred in the Dallu region, which is located in the state capital Kathmandu.

Ms Chitrakar was immediately taken to the Kirtipur Burn Hospital as her body was significantly burned. But the burns were so deep that she died in the hospital during her treatment. Besides, recently, KP Sharma Oli’s private residence was also set on fire. Fortunately, he was not harmed in this incident. However, he decided to revoke the ban and leave the country.

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Besides this, KP Sharma Oli’s finance minister, Bishnu Prasad Paudel, was chased on the streets. The whole footage was captured on phones, which was quite disturbing. He was being kicked and poorly thrashed in the video. The protestors became more violent as 19 people were killed by the police trying to control the angry mob.

What Caused Widespread Protests in Nepal?

The Nepal government, led by KP Sharma Oli, banned 26 social media apps, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and Twitter. These apps were banned because they did not comply with the government's registration guidelines. The social media companies were offered a deadline before which they had to contact the government to adjust their policies accordingly. But these companies ignored this deadline. 

Sources have suggested that the government made this move because it did not want people to express their political and religious opinions through social media. Citizens became angry at this sudden ban on social media apps, which were a major part of their lives and, for many people, a source of daily income.