2,000 hurt, 1,000 detained so far, says NC

Kathmandu, April 18:

The overnight unseasonal rain that also lasted the whole day today failed to dampen the spirits of the anti-monarchy protesters here. However, the turnout was low.

The day still saw police opening fire on innocent bystanders at the Baneshwore area, which left a woman injured at Buddhanagar, while yet another demonstrator was injured in another unprovoked firing near Min Bhavan. Twenty-four others were also injured in a stampede and police lathi-charge that followed.

Earlier in morning, the drizzle failed to stop people from turning up for demonstrations on the

13th day of the general strike. The capital saw demonstrators on the streets in appreciable strength at Basundhara, Chabahil, Chuchepati, Kamal Binayak, Patan and Kirtipur.

Demonstrators and riot police engaged in minor clashes at Ghattekulo, Jorpati, Bouddha, Kapan, Putali Sadak, Kalanki and Jamal.

Kirtipur also witnessed Tribhuvan university teachers holding corner meetings in the rain.

The CPN-UML said police arrested about a dozen trade union leaders of banks in the morning.

The Nepali Congress said 2,000 activists were injured so far in the demonstrations, with 100 of them facing various deformities, five losing their eyesight and four sustaining serious cranial injuries. Fifty-two have been admitted to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Bir Hospital, Model Hospital and OM Hospital. Twenty-one are in serious condition. Mukesha Kayastha, undergoing treatment for cranial injuries in the Bir Hospital, is reportedly serious.

The authorities also handed over three-month detention orders to over 1,000 of the arrested protesters.

Also today, plainclothes police personnel beat up three students returning from a torch rally that was taken out from Shivadarshan cinema hall to Baneshwor Chowk in the evening.

According to Nepal Students’ Union, police personnel beat up Kshitiz Bhandari, Deependra Shrestha and Ramesh Adhikary at Baneshowor.

Meanwhile, as many as 32 political workers detained at Duwakot today made common entreaties to leaders of the seven party alliance to upgrade its agenda to a democratic republican set up. They said that a republican set up alone will make the Nepali people fully sovereign.

The appeal was issued to the Nepali Congress (NC) President, Girija Prasad Koirala, CPN-UML General Secretary, Madhav Kumar Nepal and NC (Democratic) President, Sher Bahadur Deuba, among others.