KATHMANDU, June 30: Police have arrested nine party senior party leaders of Bibeksheel Sajha (BSP) after they started a protest program at Maitighar Mandala, a prohibited zone for protest.
According to the party’s central committee member Milan Pandey, those arrested include Ujjwal Thapa, the party’s coordinator, Sashi Bikram Karki (central member) and senior advocate Surendra Bhandari. All of them have been kept at Baidhya Khana of Singhadurbar where they’ve been barred from using cell phone.
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The government’s decision to bar protests at Maitighar has drawn widespread criticism, including BSP and Dr. Govinda KC. Arguing that the government should entitle its citizens to express their voices freely; BSP said that the decision must be revoked.
“We also were planning to extend our support to Dr. Govinda KC and against the alterations with the Medical Education Ordinance Replacement Bill,” Pandey said.
The government registered the Medical Education Ordinance Replacement Bill at the Parliament after the cabinet endorsed it on Friday. However, the Bill has altered major provisions of the ordinance so as to allow establishment of new medical colleges in Kathmandu valley.
Earlier, the ordinance had barred the opening of new medical colleges in Kathmandu Valley for 10 years and required a medical college to run a hospital for at least three years to be eligible for affiliation. The ordinance also barred a university from granting affiliation to more than five medical colleges.
