News Desk – Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Monday amid violent Gen Z-led protests that have gripped the country for a week. Soon after, Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, urged the young demonstrators to stay calm now that their main demand the government’s resignation had been met.
In a Facebook post, Shah said, “Dear Gen Z, your demand for the resignation of the government has been met. Now it is time to remain restrained. The loss of the country’s wealth is, in reality, a loss to our own property.” He also warned against damaging public or private property.
The protests began after the government banned 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X. Clashes turned deadly on Monday, leaving at least 19 people dead and hundreds injured nationwide. In Kathmandu alone, 18 protesters, many of them students, were killed.
Shah, a structural engineer and former rapper, has been a vocal critic of Oli. Though some protesters want him to take over as interim PM, Shah, who won the 2022 Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent, declined, saying the movement should be led by the youth themselves.
Born in 1990, Shah rose to fame in Nepal’s underground hip-hop scene before entering politics. He often uses social media to speak out on civic and political issues and has positioned himself as an opponent of corruption.
