Kathmandu, July 31

The main opposition Nepali Congress today organised demonstrations across the country against the ‘totalitarianism-oriented’ government.

The party said the demonstrations proved that national issues raised by the NC had huge public support and cautioned the government to correct itself in line with public aspirations. “It will prove expensive for the government if it ignores the huge demonstrations held despite the rains,” the NC said in a statement.

More than 500,000 people, including cadres, supporters, the general public, and members of its sister organisations, took part in rallies organised in all 77 district headquarters aimed at making the public aware of the government’s ‘autocratic’ and ‘anti-people’ activities, according to the statement.

The protests were centred against the present set-up in which the speakers and deputy speakers in both the houses of the federal parliament as well as provincial assemblies were from ruling Nepal Communist Party.

The NC has demanded that one among the speaker and deputy speaker (in both upper and lower houses of the federal parliament and provincial assemblies) should resign abiding by the provisions in Article 91 (2), Article 92 (2), and Article 182 (2) of the constitution whereby speakers and deputy speakers of federal parliament as well as provincial assemblies should be from different parties.

Other issues raised by protesters included skyrocketing prices; ban on demonstrations at Maitighar Mandala, designating certain areas where protests could be staged; humiliation of Nepal Sanskrit University Vice-chancellor Kul Prasad Koirala; rising tax rates; the government’s move to curtail press and individual freedom; and the government’s protection of a businessman making derogatory remarks about Nepali female students studying in Bangladesh.

The demonstrations also demanded effective implementation of the agreement between the government and Dr Govinda KC regarding reforms in the health education sector.

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