Dozens of opposition leaders arrested (15:40 pm)
A day before a major protest rally and mass meeting being organized by the seven party opposition alliance, police have arrested dozens of opposition leaders and rights activists early Thursday.
According to latest reports, general secretary of Nepali Congress Ram Chandra Poudel, joint general secretary Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, central committee members Sujata Koirala, Shekhar Koirala, Bal Dev Sharma Machgaiya and Dr. Shashank Koirala are among those arrested. NC leaders Omkar Shrestha and Chandra Maharjan were arrested from Lalitpur this morning. Reports says that Khum Bahadur Khadka and Chakra Prasad Bastola of Nepali Congress, Babu Ram Thapa, vice president of Nepal Teachers' Association and student leaders like Gagan Thapa, Kundan Raj Kafley, Kiran Neupane have been arrested.
Similarly, UML sources said party leaders Pradip Nepal, Keshav Badal, Bidya Devi Bhandari, Pradip Gyanwali, Bhim Rawal, Subhas Nembang, Krishna Gopal Shrestha, Yuvaraj Gyanwali, Madhav Poudel, Ishwor Pokhrel and Mahendra Pandey have been arrested. Pro-UML student leader, Ram Kumari Jhankri, is among those arrested.
Acting president of Nepali Congress (Democratic) Gopal Man Shrestha, general secretary Bimalendra Nidhi, party leaders Pradip Giri and Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat have aslo been arrested, according to NC (D) sources.
Similarly a number of leaders of Janamorcha Nepal have been arrested between 5 and 7 am.
According to party sources Pari Thapa, vice president, Krishna Lal Shrestha, Bhaktapur district chairman, Shree Govinda Maharjan, Lalitpur district chairman, Bipindra Shrestha, secretary of Lalitpur district committee, Ram Lal Maharjan, former member of District Development Committee Bhaktapur, Deep Ram Maharjan and Hari Maharjan, former chairman and vice chairman respectively of Thecho VDC, Lalitpur and Rajendra Kumar Rajkhola of Bhaktapur have been arrested.
Details to follow. nepalnews.com by Jan 19 06
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