In a gruesome killing in the ongoing Nepal violence, former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal’s wife Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar died of burn injuries on Tuesday. A mob of protesters set her house on fire in the Dallu area. Suffering from severe burns, she was rushed to the hospital but did not survive.
The killing was not accidental, but well planned — the so-called Gen Z protesters “trapped Rajyalaxmi inside her house and set it on fire”, said a Hindustan Times report, quoting local media brand Khabarhub.
She was rescued and taken to Kirtipur Burn Hospital in a critical condition, but died during treatment. The report said that Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar suffered “major burn injuries” all over her body, including her lungs.
Press Trust of India reported: “Violence continued on Tuesday in several parts of Nepal even after Prime Minister Oli’s resignation, which appeared to have little effect on the protesters who set fire to the Parliament, the President’s Office, PM’s residence, the Supreme Court, political party offices and homes of senior leaders.”
Nepal Army chief calls for dialogue with protesters
Nepal Army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel on Tuesday appealed to the protesters to come forward for dialogue in the face of violence that continued for a second day even after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned, reported PTI.
In a televised address to the nation, Gen. Sigdel said, “We appeal to the protesting group to halt protest programmes and come forward for dialogue for a peaceful way out for the nation.”
He said, “We need to normalise the present difficult situation and protect our historical and national heritage and public as well as private property, and to ensure safety to the general public and diplomatic missions.”
Prime Minister Oli quit shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office, demanding his resignation for the death of at least 19 people in police action during Monday’s “Gen Z protests” over corruption and a government ban on social media. The ban on social media was lifted on Monday night.
As Nepal continued to burn, Gen. Sigdel expressed sadness over the loss of lives and property during the demonstration and expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Army said that it would take charge of security operations from 10pm on Tuesday. In a statement issued by the Directorate of Public Relations and Information, the army said that “some groups are taking undue advantage of the difficult situation and causing severe damage to ordinary citizens and public property”.
—With inputs from Press Trust of India
