Police arrested over 60 civil society activists from a sit-in programme outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Monday afternoon .

The police intervened as soon as the civil society activists gathered outside the PM’s residence. Those arrested include chairman of the Civil Society for Peace and Democracy Dr Devendra Raj Pandey, journalist Shyam Shrestha, Dr Sundar Mani Dixit, Mahesh Maskey, president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Bishnu Nisthuri, Buddha Sayami and writer Khagendra Sangraula. However, there were no reports of violence during the protest against the delay in promulgating the interim constitution and fixing the date for constituent assembly polls.

All the arrested activists have been taken to No 2 barrack of the Armed Police Force in Maharajgunj. Demonstrators said police misbehaved with them while apprehending them.

Civil society activists had called for sit-in protest in front of the prime minister’s residence against the delay in promulgation of the interim constitution and announcement of date for constituent assembly elections.

According to FNJ general secretary Mahendra Bista, over two-dozen demonstrators continued sit-in in front of the PM residence even after the police made the arrests.

This is the first time civil society activists have been arrested after the restoration of democracy in April 2006. Civil society activists have been organising demonstrations at regular intervals to put pressure on the parties to promulgate the interim constitution and announce the election date.