CINA

The government’s move follows waves of arrests of political activists and professionals from demonstrations staged in the capital on the eve of the alliance-called April 6-9 general strike and the April 8 ‘huge’ political showdown.

Earlier today, plainclothes security personnel arrested at least three dozen leaders of various political parties from their homes while riot police arrested around 40 professionals including journalists, lawyers, professors and doctors during a peaceful demonstration at New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, Wednesday morning.

The protest rally was organized by the Professional Alliance for Peace and Democracy Nepal (PAPAD) defying the government ban order on demonstrations.

On Tuesday evening, local authorities in Kathmandu and Lalitpur issued prohibitory orders on all kinds of public meetings within the Ring Road area.

Among the arrested include 14 journalists, 13 lawyers, five professors, and three doctors.

"Police intervened in our peaceful protest and we were arrested soon after our protest rally started at 7 this morning," Balram Baniya, secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists told eKantipur over the phone from police custody in Tinkune.

"The police baton charged the protestors injuring several of us. Gopal Thapaliya has been seriously injured and has been taken to Bir Hospital," said Baniya.

Those arrested are president of Federation of Nepalese Journalists Bishnu Nisthuri, general secretary Mahendra Bista, chairman of Nepal Bar Association Sambhu Thapa, former FNJ president Harihar Birahi, SAFMA's Gopal Thapaliya, journalists Kosh Raj Koirala, Yuvaraj Acharya, doctors Kedar Narshingh KC, Madhu Ghimire and Mahesh Maskey among others.

Early this morning, plainclothes security personnel arrested over three dozen leaders of various political parties from their homes, just a day before the planned four-day general strike of the seven party alliance, party sources said.

"Plainclothes police have arrested at least 20 leaders including Keshab Baral, Subhash Nemwang, Raghu Pant and Arun Nepal among others from their homes between 5-6 am Wednesday morning," said UML leader Rajendra Pandey.

Pandey also said that police raided the homes of Mukunda Neupane, Surendra Pandey, Astalaxmi Shakya, Gokarna Bista, and student leaders Khimlal Bhattarai and Bhanubhakta Dhakal this morning.

Leader of Nepali Congress party Shovakar Parajuli said that plainclothes police arrested NC central member Sunil Kumar Bhandari and leader of Nepal Trade Union Congress Manju Bhattarai from their homes this morning.

"Police also searched the houses of NC spokesman Krishna Prasad Sitaula and other leaders who were not present at their homes when the crackdown began," said Pandey.

Similarly, spokesman of Nepali Congress-Democratic Minendra Rijal, general secretary Bimalendra Nidhi, leaders Man Mohan Bhattarai and Indra Bahadur Gurung were arrested from their residences this morning.

Also arrested were NC-D student leaders Kiran Poudel, Kalyan Gurung, Shree Ram Lamichane, Nuwakot district chairman Dhurba Adhikari, Bardiya's Arun Singh Rathaur, Kathmandu district secretary Damodar Poudyal, regional chairman Chakra Thakuri and Manju Khand of NC-D Women's Association.

The leaders including Bimalendra Nidhi, Manmohan Bhattarai, Jip Tsering Lama, Bhim Rawal, Subash Nembwang, Minendra Rijal, Mohan Basnet, Chetan Thakuri and Manju Khad, who were being held at Duwakot in Bhaktapur and Mahendra Police Club in Kathmandu were, however, released in the presence of Kathmandu District Court authorities in the afternoon.

Journos arrested, released later

Meanwhile, police detained at least 14 journalists who tried to defy the government ban order on gatherings and rallies from New Road area in Kathmandu Wednesday afternoon.

Those arrested include Kanak Mani Dixit, Shiva Gaunle, Damodar Dawadi, Baburam Dhakal, Bal Kumar Neupane, Nirmala Sharma, Hemnata Kafle, Dharmendra Jha, Rajendra Aryal, Dev Raj Rimal. The names of four other journalists could not be immediately known, reported our correspondent Deepesh Das Shrestha from New Road.

They were arrested from a protest rally organised by the Professional Alliance for Peace and Democracy Nepal (PAPAD).

Police intervened as the protestors moved forward from New Road to Indrachowk defying the ban orders.

All of them were released later.

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More news from the current situation in Nepal, but unfortunately not independent, you will find here

BBC News - Nepal police in rally crackdown

BBC News - Nepal rebels call a partial truce

BBC News - Nepal government rejects truce

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And last but not least please read the interview with the chairperson of the CPN.M with the BBC

Prachanda interview: Transcript