Nepal Gen Z protests: India seals borders; UP, Bihar up vigil amid jail break reports

Nepal’s government has fallen after a Gen-Z uprising over corruption led to widespread violence and destruction, leading to the resignations of both Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and President Ram Chandra Poudel.

As the protests, which began on Monday, gained momentum, with the torching of the Parliament, the PM and the president’s residence, and more deaths, reports of jail breaks came to the fore. Prison officials have said that until Tuesday, about 900 inmates broke free from two prisons in Nepal’s western districts.

Protests began on Monday with demands that the government lift a ban on social media and tackle corruption, with police trying to crush the rallies, resulting in the deaths of many young protesters.

Indian states on alert

On Tuesday, India declared a round-the-clock vigilance in the districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar that share a border with Nepal.

Security measures have been ramped up in Bihar, which shares a 729-kilometre porous border with Nepal. Seven districts, East Champaran, West Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Araria, Supaul, and Kishanganj, have been placed on high alert.

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the paramilitary force tasked with securing the border, has intensified monitoring efforts and deployed extra personnel to bolster vigilance in the region.

Meanwhile, in UP, Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Krishna has issued an order placing the police force on round-the-clock alert. The districts of Shravasti, Balrampur, Bahraich, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Siddharthnagar, and Maharajganj share borders with Nepal.

PM Modi holds meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence in Nepal, describing the situation as “heart-rending” and appealing for peace and stability in the neighbouring country.

Speaking after chairing a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting held upon his return from a tour of flood-hit Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, PM Modi said the panel discussed recent developments in Nepal.

“On my return from Himachal Pradesh and Punjab today, a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security discussed the developments in Nepal. The violence in Nepal is heart-rending. I am anguished that many young people have lost their lives. The stability, peace and prosperity of Nepal are of utmost importance to us. I humbly appeal to all my brothers and sisters in Nepal to support peace,” he said in a post on X.