The seven opposition parties have said police have taken into custody over a dozen activists affiliated to them while they were trying to enforce valleywide shutdown strike called by the alliance on Friday.

Security personnel on patrol during the valley ‘bandh’ (general strike) called by seven opposition parties, Friday, Dec 16 05. nepalnews.com/rh

Those arrested include Kathmandu district secretary of CPN (UML), Rameswore Phuyal.

The alliance had called nationwide protests on Friday and shutdown strike in Kathmandu valley in protest of the killing of a dozen civilians by an off duty security personnel at Nagarkot, to the east of Kathmandu, around mid-night on Wednesday.

According to police, demonstrators have pelted stones and damaged some half a dozen vehicles in Baneswore, Naya Bazar and Gongabu area.

In other parts of the city, situation remained calm.

Reports from Bhaktapur say students pelted stones at some vehciles and were taking out rallies denouncing Wednesday’s incident.

The eastern town of Biratnagar remains tense after students from local Mahendra Morang campus pelted stones at a local hotel where the Election Commission was holding a regional workshop in the run up to the municipal elections slated on February 8, next year.

According to reports, agitating students pelted stones at the Eastern Star hotel at the Road Cess chowk, just in front of their campus, this morning as inauguration of the two-day workshop was underway. Chief Election Commissioner, Keshav Raj Rjbhandari, was also present on the occasion.

Police have tightened security and the workshop remains stalled following the incident.

Earlier, hundreds of students took out a protest rally and forced local shops to close down. They also disrupted a program organized by royalists who were garlanding the statue of late King Mahendra on the occasion of Poush 1 (Dec. 16).

King Mahendra had dismissed the first popularly elected government led by B. P. Koirala on this very day in 1960 thereby paving way for the direct rule of the king for three decades.

A popular movement in 1990 forced late King Birendra to give up his absolute powers ushering the country into a multi-party polity.