The Nepal Students’ Union (NSU), the student wing of the ruling Nepali Congress, staged a protest on Wednesday against the social media bill tabled in the House of Representatives, denouncing it as an attempt to stifle free speech.

NSU-affiliated students criticised both Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and their own party’s leadership, displaying placards with messages at Maitighar Mandala.

Slogans included “Is free speech banned in prosperous Nepal, KP Ba?”, “Social media bill=communist nostalgia”, “You [government] didn’t give us jobs, so at least let us speak,” “Regulation is needed, not control,” and “A government afraid of questions!” among others.

The bill forwarded by the Oli-led government has received widespread criticism and resistance over concerns that it may undermine the freedom of expression and free press. Critics argue that the bill’s vague provisions could be misused to suppress dissent and critical voices.

The ruling party’s student wing has protested the bill just a day after Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung, at a function on Tuesday claimed that the government was determined to pass the bill at any cost.

Here are some photos of the protest by the Post’s photojournalist Angad Dhakal.