Rights activists held for staging protest

KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 21

Police have arrested more than a dozen human rights activists and civil society members for staging a demonstration outside the southern gate of Singha Durbar, the country’s major administrative hub.

Activists led by Human Rights and Peace Society were arrested shortly after they started staging protest against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s move dissolving the House of the Representatives.

They had displayed placards with slogans against the PM.

The detainees include human right activists Krishna Padhadi, Krishna Kandel, Uttam Pudasaini, Bal Bahadur Gaha Magar, Kumar Raj Subedi, Jagannath Pudasaini, Chandra Mani Banjara, Amrit Jung Mahat, Ishwar Pudasaini, Maya Bhattarai, Mahesh Acharya, Bachhuram Sharma, Bikash Thapa, Kiran Dhakal, Chiranjivi Khadka, and Tulsiram Bhandari.

They were carrying placards with slogans such as ‘Dissolving the House is the greatest mockery of democracy’, ‘Dissolving the House is an undemocratic, unconstitutional and authoritative act’ Deputy Superintendent of Police at Singhadurbar Police Circle Hari Bahadur Basnet said the activists were arrested for protesting in a prohibited area. They were, however, released after a few hours of detention in Bhrikutimandap-based Nepal Police Club.

Sporadic protests have been organised across the country by various political parties and their student and youth wings, and activists following yesterday’s move.

Majority of such protests, however, were organised by the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP)’s student and youth wings close to Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal.