KATHMANDU: Former chief of the National Intelligence Department, Deviram Sharma, has alleged that the government carried out a premeditated crackdown on the September 8 and 9 Gen-Z protests despite having prior knowledge of the demonstrations.
Speaking at a program attended by former President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Sharma claimed that the government had intelligence about the scale and nature of the protests but chose to ignore it.
“The government had full information about what was going to happen on September 8 and 9. Yet instead of preventing escalation, security forces ambushed protesters in front of Parliament and opened fire,” Sharma said. “Some 500–700 people gathered at Maitighar were escorted by police directly into the restricted zone of Baneshwor and pushed toward the Parliament building, where a massacre was staged. We have witnessed many protests before, if MCC demonstrations could be contained, why not this one?”
Sharma accused both the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force of being politicized, arguing that security agencies failed to protect the state’s core institutions. He further claimed the protests were not limited to disaffected youths but also involved dissatisfied factions within political parties.
“The Gen-Z protest was not only about young people. Within every party, there are groups that feel marginalized. They seized the opportunity. Parliamentary parties resigned in solidarity, Kathmandu’s mayor also backed the movement, and protestors deliberately targeted the homes of ministers, political leaders, and administrators,” Sharma said.
He also alleged that Nepal’s intelligence community came under “systematic attack,” leaving it paralyzed at a crucial moment. “Interference is being talked about now, but the biggest blow was dealt to the National Intelligence Department. Foreign interference could not be curtailed, and intelligence was crippled,” he said.
Sharma accused successive ruling parties of politicizing law enforcement and security institutions, which, he argued, weakened their ability to function effectively. “Every time a party comes to power, it captures state institutions. If we conduct a candid self-review, the facts are all there,” he said.
He added that he had warned months earlier that the current parliament was incapable of delivering results and predicted rising youth discontent. “I had said a month and a half ago that this Parliament could not deliver. What Nepal now needs is a legislature with young members aged 25 to 35,” Sharma noted.
The Gen-Z protests, which turned violent earlier this month, left at least 74 people dead, sparking widespread calls for accountability and reform.
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