Kathmandu: KP Khanal, one of the GenZ leaders who called for protests against corruption and a ban on social media apps, said that the infiltration of vested groups during the movement resulted in violence that left nearly two dozen people dead in two days.
Even though the movement succeeded in bringing down the widely unpopular government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Khanal said he and his volunteer friends were fully against the vandalism and torching of government and private buildings.
Enraged by the killing of the 19 people in police firing on Monday, protestors vandalised important state buildings, including Singh Durbar, the main administrative centre of the government, the president’s office, the Supreme Court building, houses of the top political leaders, including that of Prime Minister Oli, who resigned on Tuesday and the headquarters of major political parties.
Likewise, offices and business outlets of some of the important business houses and corporate bodies were also set on fire, igniting fears among the masses. Kathmandu saw smoke coming out from different parts of the city.
“We were organising a peaceful protest and the crowd became bigger and bigger, and some people from the crowd started to attack the parliamentary building, inviting excessive use of force by police, resulting in the deaths of several people,” he said.
“We have not supported the attacks on the public and private properties on Tuesday, but some vested interest groups might be involved in attacks on those properties in the name of GenZ movement.”
Following the fall of the KP Sharma Oli-led government, questions are being asked about the next political course. Balen Shah, a highly celebrated mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has emerged as an important face to take a lead in the next political course of the country.
“Now your generation needs to lead the nation,” Shah, a highly celebrated mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, addressing GenZ protesters following Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s resignation from his post.
“Be ready for this. Be ready to hold talks with the army chief. But also remember, the parliament should be dissolved before such talks with the army are undertaken,” he wrote further, raising questions about whether he played any role in the ongoing GenZ protest.
Rumours in the market on Tuesday were that Shah could be a strong candidate for the next Prime Minister. A former rapper, who was elected as Mayor of the country’s largest and most populous city, Kathmandu, as an independent candidate in 2022, with a landslide.
Before the GenZ movement started on Monday, Shah had endorsed the planned protests of the GenZ even though he himself rejected participation, citing his age. Those born between 1997 and 2012 are considered GenZ.
Following the losses of public and private property, the Nepal Army Chief called for calm and dialogue with protestors. But Khanal is not sure whether his team would be invited to the talks.
“There are several volunteer groups involved in protests, and I am not aware of who will lead the GenZ delegation,” he said.
He said that his group didn’t request that Mayor Shah lead the negotiation with the Nepal Army.
“But getting his support for the movement was important,” he said.
With Shah calling for the dissolution of the parliament, the next political course could be explored through a non-constitutional process.
“If the parliament is dissolved, a way for a political solution could be found,” said Khanal.
(IANS)
