Former Nepal Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai arrested

Former Nepal Prime Minister and Chairman of Naya Shakti Nepal party — Baburam Bhattarai was arrested from outside the Election Commission (EC) Office on Sunday, the media reported. Bhattarai, his wife Hisila Yami, and Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) Maoist Revolutionary leader C P Gajurel, among others, were picked up by police while they were staging a sit-in outside the EC office to protest denial of election symbol to the party, The Kathmandu Post reported. According to Bhattarai's aide Bishwodeep Pandey, police personnel badly treated the leaders by hauling them into a truck after their arrest. Five political parties registered with the EC, including Naya Shakti Nepal, staged a sit-in outside the poll panel's office in protest against "the election holding body's refusal to grant election symbol". Prior to this, the agitating parties had submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav.

While submitting a memorandum in this regard to Dahal on Thursday, Naya Shaki Nepal had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to him demanding allocation of an election symbol for their party. Naya Shakti, among others parties, staged a two-hour sit-in on Sunday outside the EC offices across the nation to press their demand.