Tens of thousands of people turned up in a major protest program organised by the seven agitating political parties in Kathmandu Thursday.

Senior leaders of Nepali Congress (from right) Arjun Narsingh KC, Sushil Koirala and Ram Chandra Poudel listening to senior opposition leaders at a mass meeting organized by seven opposition parties at New Baneshwore, Thursday, Dec 15 05. nepalnews.com/rh

Senior leaders of Nepali Congress (from right) Arjun Narsingh KC, Sushil Koirala…
The seven-party alliance took out separate rallies from three different places of the capital city which converged into a mass meeting at New Baneshwor. The Nepali Congress (NC) brought a rally from Maitighar while the CPN (UML) took out a rally from Gaushala and another rally of five other parties came to Baneshwor from Teenkune.

Carrying flags of their parties, the demonstrators chanted slogans against ‘royal autocracy’ and demanded immediately restoration of democracy and human rights in the country.

Addressing the gathering, NC president Girija Prasad Koirala said a strong joint movement is the need of the hour “to dismantle the autocratic regime in place” and that the parties would not rest until their movement reaches a logical end. He further said the movement, which is aimed at restoring peace and democracy in the country, was going as per the demand of the people, not at the behest of the foreign powers.

CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said the royal government had been trying to destroy the emerging environment for peace. He added that the recent 12-point agreement between the parties and the Maoists was in the interest of the people and the nation.

NC (Democratic) acting president Gopal Man Shrestha, People’s Front Nepal chairman Amik Sherchan and other alliance leaders also addressed the gathering.

This was the first major joint protest organised by the seven-party alliance in Kathmandu after the February 1 royal takeover. The parties had been jointly organising awareness campaigns in the districts.