Security forces arrested a dozen journalists in Rajbiraj on Sunday and rounded up 42 leaders and cadres of agitating political parties from various parts of the country from pro-democracy rallies.

Police intervened in a peaceful rally of journalists organized against the repressive behaviour of the government towards media and arrested 12 journalists.

The rally started from Siraha office of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and clashed with police in Siraha road.

Vice President of FNJ Siraha Prakash Khadka, Treasurer Dipendra Shah and members Mohan Pokhrel and Bidhya Nath Yadav are among the arrested journalists.

In Biratnagar police rounded up at least 22 local leaders and cadres of Nepali Congress (NC), who were organizing protest rally against the municipal polls and Saturday’s incident when policemen had fired at NC’s Morang district President Amrit Aryal and NC Biratnagar municipality committee president Kamaksha Parajuli. Police intervened at the peaceful rally at Pokharia, according to reports.

Reports from Janakpur said, police arrested at least 13 leaders and cadres of agitating political parties while organizing door-to-door campaign to boycott the municipal polls. They were arrested from near the railway station.

In Mahottari, two political leaders were arrested from such protest programme.

Police also arrested three student leaders in Dang while appealing the masses to boycott the municipal election.

Police also arrested two political activists from a house in Bijaura village of Dailekh district and handed them three month detention warrants. They were arrested from being involved in poll boycott campaign.

The seven agitating political parties that are actively boycotting the municipal poll slated for Wednesday have been organizing various programmes to boycott the municipal election.