Six ANNFSU leaders object to ex-chair’s return after resignation during Gen-Z protests

KATHMANDU: Six district presidents and in-charges of the All Nepal National Free Students Union(ANNFSU) in Bagmati Province have submitted written objections after Sujan Kadariya, who resigned from the student union on September 9 amid the Gen-Z protests, sought to return as ANNFSU chair.

Leaders from Kavre, Sindhupalchok, Dhading, Chitwan, Makwanpur and Dolakha jointly lodged the protest, asking the central body not to reinstate Kadariya or to list his name among former presidents. The group said they were acting to uphold internal discipline and the organisation’s credibility following the upheaval that accompanied the nationwide protests.

Kadariya resigned on September 9, later telling colleagues that he stepped down after receiving threats to his life. According to an ANNFSU insider, senior party figures Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal and Shankar Pokharel had previously compelled Kadariya to accept the chairmanship; those same leaders then urged him to withdraw his resignation once the situation calmed.

The account has been provided by an ANNFSU activist and has not been independently verified by the union’s central office.

Tensions over Kadariya’s status escalated in recent days when his portrait was removed from the ANNFSU headquarters and his nameplate was reportedly burned. Those actions, according to district-level officials, reflected a wider demand within the organisation that Kadariya not be allowed to resume a leadership role after the controversial period.

The Bagmati district officers’ written objection seeks formal confirmation from ANNFSU’s central committee that Kadariya will not be reinstated and that his name will be excluded from the list of past presidents. The union’s central office has not issued an immediate response to the letter or the allegations about pressure from senior leaders.

The dispute highlights continuing internal rifts within student and party structures after the Gen-Z protests, as organizations grapple with leadership accountability and public perception in the protests’ aftermath.