Vandalism, Arson During Gen Z Protests 'Planned Conspiracy': Ex-Nepal Home Minister

PTI, KATHMANDU, DEC 30: Nepal's former home minister Ramesh Lekhak on Monday claimed that the vandalism and arson on the second day of the Gen Z protests was the result of "a planned conspiracy against democracy and the nation."

On September 8 and 9, the youth-led Gen Z protest against corruption, nepotism, and a social media ban escalated into violence, leading to the ouster of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's coalition government. A total of 77 people, including 22 youths, were killed during the Gen Z movement.

Lekhak, who appeared on Monday before a high-level probe commission investigating the Gen Z protests, said that he accepted full moral responsibility for the deaths and other losses of September 8. However, he claimed that the vandalism and arson on September 9 across the country were not a spontaneous escalation but the result of "a planned conspiracy against democracy and the nation."

The Nepali Congress leader said he had stepped down immediately after the September 8 tragedy because, as the political head of the Home Ministry, he felt a deep personal and institutional responsibility. However, Lekhak drew a sharp distinction between the peaceful Gen Z protest of September 8 — which, according to him, was later infiltrated and hijacked — and the extensive arson and attacks that occurred the next day.

“The violent incidents of September 9 were against national integrity, dignity, and democracy. No patriotic Nepali could even imagine torching Singha Durbar Secretariat, the Supreme Court, Parliament, and the President’s Office,” he said. “It was a planned conspiracy and a deliberate attack on the nation and democracy,” he added.

The inquiry commission, led by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki, summoned Lekhak, who was the home minister during the Gen Z-led protests. In his explanation, Lekhak claimed that as the then-home minister, he had convened a meeting of the Central Security Committee on September 7, where all security agencies agreed to maintain law and order by avoiding excessive use of force and casualties.

"The Gen Z protesters' demands, including anti-corruption, good governance, and lifting the ban on social media sites, were legitimate and widely accepted," he said.

Lekhak stated that the September 9 destruction — including the burning of key state offices, private property, party buildings, police units, and business establishments across the country — could not have resulted from “momentary anger.”

Such synchronised attacks, he said, suggested preparation, planning, and intent. “These were not spontaneous acts. These were organised assaults on the nation’s institutions.”

Lekhak also advised the commission to closely investigate who infiltrated the protest, who planned the September 9 attacks, and who executed them. He added that while youth demands must be acknowledged, criminal acts must be treated separately and prosecuted. The former home minister also questioned the legal and moral rationale behind limiting his movement.