Nepal’s youth toppled the government within a day after authorities blocked social media platforms - a storyline Kremlin-controlled media chose to downplay, opting not to highlight how people mobilized for their rights, reports the news outlet Agenstvo.
Russian federal TV channels avoided detailing why mass protests and deadly unrest erupted in Nepal. The primary trigger was the government’s decision to block 26 social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, X and LinkedIn.
Local youth quickly mounted a revolt and forced the government out - a nightmare scenario for the Putin regime, the report suggests.
While Russia has imposed numerous digital restrictions in recent years, the public has largely endured them. Footage of jubilant crowds after a swift toppling of power is seen as alarming in the Kremlin, shaping how protests were framed on pro-government channels.
Russian TV either omitted this detail or mentioned it only in passing, instead leaning on the familiar narrative of “external interference.”
On Rossiya 1, the social media ban wasn’t mentioned at all. Channel One referred to the ban only briefly, stressing the “external coincidence” of the protests with Nepal’s stated intention to join the SCO. NTV acknowledged that the unrest stemmed from the blocking of foreign platforms, but did not specify which networks were banned.
Experts note the reality looked different: Nepal’s youth took to the streets precisely because authorities cut off familiar channels of communication and information. Protests escalated into widespread riots; dozens of people were killed, and the parliament, Supreme Court and officials’ homes were set on fire. Under pressure from the streets, the government rescinded the ban and the prime minister resigned.
For the Kremlin and Russian propagandists, it’s a chilling scenario. Russia has also banned Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn, restricted YouTube, and blocked calls on WhatsApp. Yet no comparable protests followed - a key reason, analysts say, why federal channels are pushing the “foreign meddling” line, hoping Russians won’t draw parallels or question what authorities fear most: that people can bring down a government that strips them of basic freedoms.
