Thousands of people turned up in a major pro-democracy rally followed by a mass gathering organised by the seven agitating political parties in the southern town of Janakpur on Thursday.

Reports from Janakpur said rallies were taken out from various parts of Janakpur. Thousands of activists and ordinary people from surrounding districts also participated in the demonstrations, which later converged into a mass meeting at Bahra Bigha.

Security forces stopped dozens of buses carrying the protesters at various checkpoints but there were no untoward incidents, reports added.

Addressing the mammoth gathering, Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala said the pro-democracy parties were poised to wage a decisive battle against ‘royal autocracy’. “We cannot afford to fight for democracy over and over again. The ongoing movement is going to be decisive,” he said.

CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal also said stressed that the parties were gearing up for total democracy.

Nepali Congress (Democratic) vice-chairman Gopal Man Shrestha, People’s Front Nepal chairman Amik Sherchan, chairman of Nepal Peasants and Workers Party, Narayan Man Bijukchhe, and Bharat Bimal Yadav of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) also addressed the gathering.