More than 200 demonstrators arrested in Kathmandu

Kathmandu Jan 21-According to preliminary reports, Atleast 200 leaders and activists of the seven-party alliance were arrested from Basantapur and New Road areas of Kathmandu when the parties marched ahead defying prohibitory orders of the government.

Tens of thousands of opposition activists and professionals defied prohibitive orders in the capital, Kathmandu, Saturday a day after the day-long curfew imposed to thwart the peaceful mass meeting organised by the seven party opposition alliance.

Activists affiliated to the opposition alliance clashed with police as the latter tried to prevent them from organizing mass meeting and protest rally at Hanumandhoka, Basantapur area Saturday afternoon, a Nepalnews correspondent on the scene said.

The arrested leaders included Ram Sharan Mahat, Mahanta Thakur, Hari Bhakta Adhikari and Surendra Mishra among others.UML leaders Yubaraj Gyawali, Jana Morcha Nepal leaders Ghanshyam Poudel and Shahsi Shrestha, Nepali Congress (Democratic) leader Krishna Kishore Ghimire, former president of NC-affiliated Nepal Students Union Gururaj Ghimire, former vice chancellor of Tribhuvan University Navin Prakash Jung Shah, president of Nepal University Teachers Association Dr. Khagendra Bhattarai, among others.The agitating parties have been holding massive demonstrations in the prohibited areas including, Ason, New Road and Basantapur.

Police fired over 100 rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the demonstrators while some army men have been mobilized in the Basantapur areas. New Road and Basantapur areas are still tense. The parties were scheduled to hold a mass meeting at Basantapur this afternoon. The demonstration was originally scheduled for yesterday but the government enforced a daytime curfew to thwart the alliance’s massive demonstration yesterday.

The opposition parties said police used force and took into custody hundreds of their party leaders and workers.

The authorities have not said anything regarding the latest arrests.

Police Inspector Dinesh beat up journalist Diwakar Pant affiliated with Himal media, according to our correspondent.

Police threw dozens of tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd. They also exchanged brickbats with the demonstrators.

Hundreds of security personnel were deployed in and around Basantapur and police have erected barricades at New Road gate barring movement of vehicles in the busy business district.