188 arrested on general strike called by Prachanda-Nepal group, 33 vehicles vandalized

Kathmandu : Police have arrested altogether 188 people from various parts of the country on the charges of enforcing general strike and halting or vandalizing the vehicles that plied the road today.

The Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Madhav Kumar Nepal faction of the Nepal Communist Party had called for the general strike throughout the country today. According to Spokesperson of the Nepal Police SSP Basanta Bahadur Kunwar, police released 40 people later after investing on the matter while rest others were in the police custody until further investigation into their cases.

The regular lives of the public in the Kathmandu Valley slightly seem to be affected by the general strike while the regular lives of the people outside of the Valley seemed unfazed, police said.

SSP Kunwar shared that over 45 per cent vehicles plied the roads in the Valley as compared to the regular normal days. Small vehicles, private vehicles were in operation today in Valley but the big vehicles were not seen thickly on the road.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had urged the entrepreneurs to run their enterprises without any fear for the government said that it had put in place necessary security system.

The vehicles ferrying goods also continued entering the Valley with security escort. The disgruntled cadres of Prachanda-Nepal faction had set ablaze a taxi at Samakhusi, Kathmandu today morning. The protestors had damaged altogether 86 vehicles throughout the country. Among them, three belonged to the government.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had warned that anyone involved in vandalism and untoward activities and affects peace and order shall be punished.