A group of students affiliated with the ruling party Nepali Congress staged protests in front of the ministers’ quarters at Harihar Bhawan, Pulchowk, Lalitpur on Saturday morning.

Around a dozen youths holding a banner of Nepal Student Union, the student wing of the Nepali Congress, staged demonstrations at the gate of the ministers’ quarters. They demanded the resignation of Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha and action against those involved in the deaths of two youths in the Balkumari protest on Friday.

The protesters displayed placards reading ‘home minister step down’, ‘punish the murderers [of the youths in Friday’s incident] and chanted similar slogans.

They were immediately surrounded by a large group of police personnel. Then, the protesters staged demonstrations along the Pulchowk road section and dispersed after around half an hour.

NSU President Dujang Sherpa said they demanded the home minister’s resignation saying that the home ministry leadership failed to give a convincing answer about Friday’s tragic incident.

“The home minister tried to evade his responsibility, making police personnel and other officials scapegoats,” Sherpa told the Post. “This is the height of irresponsibility on the part of the ministry’s leadership. So we wanted the minister’s resignation.”

Two youths—Sujan Raut, 23, and Birendra Shah of around the same age—died in clashes between the protesters and police on Friday at Balkumari in Lalitpur. Those who were barred from taking part in the Korean language test for employment in South Korea had staged demonstrations.

At a time when there are reports of inter-party conflict within the ruling coalition, Saturday’s demonstration of a small group from a ruling party in front of the ministers’ quarters may indicate the factional feuds within the ruling parties.

The intra-party tussles have intensified on the heels of the prime minister’s recent announcement of his preparation to reshuffle his Cabinet.

Meanwhile, a separate group of demonstrators also took to Maitighar in Kathmandu to protest against the same. Protesters were taken into police custody as the Kathmandu District Administration had previously announced the area as prohibited for protests.