Students at Patan Campus block the road by burning tires defying the government ban on demonstrations inside the Ring Road, Tuesday, Jan 17 06. nepalnews.com

At least one dozen leaders and activists of the seven-party alliance were arrested in Kathmandu on Tuesday afternoon while staging rallies, defying the government ban.

Eight leaders and activists including CPN (UML) youth leaders Yogesh Bhattrai, Rup Narayan Shrestha and Rameshwor Phuyal were arrested when a motorcycle rally they were leading arrived at Baneshwor. The rally was organised for the publicity a mass gathering of the seven parties in Kathmandu on coming Friday.

Similarly, police arrested nearly half a dozen seven-party activists including Nepali Congress central leader Narahari Acharya and NP Saud of Nepali Congress (Democratic) when they were carrying out door-to-poor campaign, urging the local people not to cast their vote in the upcoming municipal polls. The leaders had begun the door-to-door program from Haandigaon.

On Monday, the government imposed curfew in Kathmandu and Lalitpur from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. and prohibited rallies and mass movement inside the Ring Road.

The seven-party alliance has said the mass gathering would be held despite the government ban.