Kathmandu, Sept 10: Former Prime Minister G P Koirala was among around 8,000 political activists arrested as the week-long opposition agitation over the Nepal government's ban on protests and rallies were marred by minor incidents of violence on the final day today. In stepped-up protests coinciding with the arrival of King Gyanendra from London after a medical check-up, thousands of activists belonging to five major opposition parties staged sit-in in the capital and raised anti-King slogans demanding immediate restoration of democratic rights, while at some venues, riot police were forced to use batons as demonstrators turned violent.

General secretary of Nepal Communist Party-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal, Nepal Majdur Kishan Party president Narayanman Bijukchhe, Janamorcha Nepal leader Lilamani Pokhrel and Nepal Sadbhavana Party president Anandi Devi Singh joined Koirala in courting arrests. Police later released all of them. "Our fifteen thousand cadres took part in today's protest shows and most of them courted arrest", Nepali Congress leader Tirtharam Dangol said.

Expressing solidarity, large number of human rights activists and journalists also joined the protests.

Bureau Report