Police arrested more than 20 protesters after the demonstrations left the Pashupati Temple premises tense. A large number of police personnel have been mobilized to avoid any untoward incidents.[break]
The protesters blocked traffic movement along Gaushala and Chabahil section of the road for two hours starting at 9 a.m.
The agitators have padlocked all PADT offices from Sunday demanding that the priests be appointed through open competition from among both Nepali and Indian nationals as provisioned in the new regulations.
The protest was intensified after Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, also patron of PADT, on Wednesday approved the names of two new priests of Indian nationalities - Girish Bhatta and Raghabendra Bhatta - as per the recommendations made by the Ministry of Culture.
The protesters have formed a struggle committee under the coordination of Rishi Sharma.
The then Maoist government had appointed Sharma, breaking all past precedents to appoint Indian nationals, as the priest of the temple.
However, it was forced to withdraw the decision following protests from various quarters.
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