“Nepal on Fire: Parliament Torched, Ex-PMs Attacked, Army Deployed as Violence Spirals Out of Control”

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The youth-led protests in Nepal escalated into violent rebellion on Tuesday, with demonstrators setting the Parliament building ablaze and launching attacks on government offices, political leaders’ residences, and even the gates of the iconic Pashupatinath Temple. The chaos forced authorities to deploy the army as the situation slipped completely out of control.

Anger intensified after police firing on Monday left 19 people dead. The next day, enraged protesters attacked former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, while the wife of ex-PM Jhalanath Khanal, Rajlaxmi Chitrakar, was brutally set on fire in broad daylight. In the midst of the unrest, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli announced his resignation, but the violence showed no signs of abating.

The Nepalese Army quickly moved to secure key installations, including Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport and Singh Durbar, the central administrative complex. Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel addressed the nation in a video message, appealing for peace and expressing condolences to the families of those killed. President Ramchandra Paudel also urged dialogue, but the atmosphere remains highly volatile.

Meanwhile, India has gone on high alert in response to the Nepal crisis. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered tightened security along the Indo-Nepal border, with heightened vigilance in Champawat, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar. In Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought central government assistance to bring home 39 residents stranded at Kathmandu airport.

The unrest in Nepal has not only shaken its political foundation but also raised regional security concerns for India.