Health Minister Pradip Paudel has resigned Tuesday afternoon.
"I would like to announce my decision to step down from the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Population," he stated.
The NC leader has described the anger of the Gen Z, which has erupted on the streets and social media, as a natural and justified call for accountability against corruption and misgovernance.
"They were merely asking questions. Our sons and daughters were demanding their future, not a confrontation. They were seeking reform in the state system, not anarchy," he said. "As someone who entered politics adhering to the principle that 'non-violence is the soul of democracy,' I could not witness the blood of our own innocent children's generation being shed yesterday. My conscience did not allow me to remain a silent spectator to the state's behavior while holding the very position I swore to protect citizens' lives with."
He added that the voice of today's youths on the streets is not a rebellion but a call for reform. "The country can only move forward by respecting the energy and consciousness of this generation, not by suppressing it. Not listening to their voices is a rejection of the country's future," he said. "On the one hand, I was arranging for the treatment of the injured, while on the other, I was part of the same state mechanism—I could not remain in this moral crisis. Therefore, standing on the side of democratic values and civil rights, I have resigned from the post of Minister of Health and Population."
Previously, Agriculture Minister Ramnath Adhikari and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, both from the Nepali Congress, had also resigned. The Gen Z protests resulted in 19 deaths.
Water Supply Minister Pradip Yadav from Janata Samajwadi Party has resigned.
