Hundreds of political leaders and activists, students and professionals were arrested on Wednesday ahead of the four-day general strike called by the seven opposition parties beginning Thursday for restoration of democracy.
According to the CPN (UML), a major ally in the seven-party alliance, dozens of party leaders including Ishwor Pokhrel, Mukunda Neupane, Rajendra Pandey, Shankar Pokhrel Rajendra Rai Yogesh Bhattarai were rounded up early in the morning while plainclothes policemen searched the residences of several other leaders.
Similarly, hundreds of students protesting against ‘autocracy’ were rounded up from various campuses in the capital. Several students were injured during clash with riot police.
Students groups said 50 students were arrested from the hostel of Amrit Science Campus at Lainchour, nine from a demonstration in front of Pashupati Multiple campus, 12 from Tri Chandra Campus and nine others were held from Balmiki Vidyapith.
The students torched three motorcycles and one four-wheeler in Lainchaur during the demonstration.
The government clamped prohibitory orders within the Ring Road in Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts, banning public assemblies and rallies.
Meanwhile, dozens of professionals including journalists and lawyers were arrested from separate rallies organised in Kathmandu in support of the seven-party movement today.
Nearly two dozen journalists were arrested from a rally in the busy commercial area of New Road at around 3:00 p.m. Those arrested include Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Bishnu Nisthuri, vice-president Shiv Gaunle, editor of Himal South Asia, Kanak Mani Dixit, president of FNJ Lalitpur branch, Ujir Magar, Nirmala Sharma of South Asian Free Media Association and FNJ treasurer, Hemanta Kafle. Other journalists arrested include Purna Basnet, Bal Kumar Nepal, Ujjwal Acharya, Indra Baniya, Rojan Rai, Navin Podel, Govinda Chaulagain, Bimal Gautam, Prakash Silwal, Lila Raj Khanal, Kiran Pokhrel and Damodar Dawadi.
The arrested journalists have been kept at the Jansewa Police Post at New Road.
The protesting journalists chanted slogans against the government’s policy to ‘gag’ the free press.
Similarly, at least 13 lawyers, five university professors, three medical doctors, two cinema actors and several civil society activists were arrested from a peaceful protest rally organized by the Professional Alliance for Peace and Democracy (PAPAD) in Baneshwor to defy the prohibitory orders imposed by local authorities.
The arrested professionals include Shambhu Thapa, Bhupati Dhakal, Gopal Thapaliya, Bishnu Nisthuri, Mahendra Bista and Madhu Ghimire.
Authorities, however, released the law professionals in the evening while others were still being detained. nepalnews.com ia Apr 05 06