Student leaders affiliated with the Nepal Students Union (NSU) carried empty LPG cylinders to Tri-Chandra Campus in Kathmandu on Tuesday, turning a symbol of the country’s cooking-gas shortage into a protest against the government.

The demonstration was organised by the student wing of the Nepali Congress to draw attention to the difficulties students say they are facing as LPG supplies remain tight.

Carrying empty cylinders and placards, the protesters accused the government of failing to ease the shortage, with slogans such as, “You promised to end queues, so why are people still lining up for gas?” and “Students need pens in their hands, not empty cylinders.”

The protesters demanded that the government resolve the shortage and address its impact on students.

The shortage has disrupted daily life in Kathmandu and other parts of the country, with consumers facing difficulty finding LPG and, in some cases, spending hours queuing up for cylinders.