Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, January 18:

Four students’ wings and four youth organisations of the agitating parties today announced further protest programmes against the recent price hike in petroleum products. Their programmes include a workshop on current political situation and petroleum products’ price hike on January 22, a corner meet on January 23, a chakkajam on January 24, a blackout in the valley on January 26 and a torch rally on January 28. These programmes were announced after the joint meeting of eight organisations held today.

The students also organised a whistle rally from Ratnapark today. Meanwhile, Nepal Students’ Union (NSU), by issuing a press release said the agitating students and youth organisations had served a 48-hour ultimatum to the government to release two students who were detained yesterday.

The two student leaders — Kedar Karki and Bhim Parajuli — were arrested for vandalising a petrol pump in Morang. The NSU charged that the government was planning to file a case against them for their involvement in vandalism. The students stated that if their leaders were not released within the given timeframe, then they would be compelled to close down indefinitely all the petrol pumps throughout the country. “The students should be released at the earliest without any conditions,” stated the release.