Nepal political crisis: Police, protestors clash near PM residence

Nepal Police had to use water cannons on civil society activists, who were protesting against the dissolution of Parliament near Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli residence at Baluwatar on Monday, leaving dozens injured.

The group of civil society activists, including senior journalists, former civil servants, actors as well as writers, was charged with batons and water cannons by police as they tried to march ahead.

Dozens of agitating activists were injured in the crackdown by Nepal Police, which happened at a distance of around one kilometer from the PM residence.

"We were not using any sort of force against the police, we didn't possess stone or anything as such but the way we were suppressed this has given birth to third people's movement," Narayan Wagle, a senior journalist of the Himalayan Nation, said after the clash.

The protest march, which started from Kamalpokhari, leading all way to Baluwatar, was termed as "Baluwatar March" to drag the attention of Oli urging him to correct his latest move of what they termed as defying the Constitution.

"Police are protecting the gate of PM residence by holding us here, we want to thank you all from our inner heart. We are here not because of our will, every citizens have been compelled to come out and protest," Mohna Ansari, one of the Human Right Activists of Nepal said while addressing the protest march.

Earlier in the day, some activists were arrested while protesting near the PM residence.

Protests have erupted at several places in the Himalayan nation against the December 20th move of Oli to dissolve the Parliament, calling for an early election in April-May this year.

( With inputs from ANI )