Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, January 15:

Most of the Valley petrol pumps remained closed today after the four student unions affiliated to the four major opposition parties announced to close all the petrol pumps in the Valley on January 15-16 as part of their protest against the recent price hike in petroleum products.

However, Nepal Police said 16 petrol pumps remained open throughout the valley — 10 in Kathmandu, two in Bhaktapur and four in Patan. Security forces had provided security to the open pumps. The four student unions — Nepal Students’ Union, ANNFSU (Unified), Nepal Students’ Forum and Nepal Revolutionary Students Union — had announced to close the petrol pumps to press the government to withdraw the recent hike in the prices of the petroleum products. Nepal Students’ Union today appealed to the civic society to participate in the protests against the price hike and fight against the violation of rights.

Meanwhile, few students who were demonstrating against the price hike were detained from various places. Laxman Dhakal, Narayan Bharati, Bamdev Adhikary and Rakesh Shrestha were arrested in the evening from Putalisadak while they were trying to burn tyres. They were released later in the evening. The students vowed to give continuity to ‘unannounced protest’ such as prohibiting government owned vehicles to run on the streets, organising chakkajams in front of campus and the like from January 16.