Madhesis and demonstrators from other minority groups today clashed with police in front of Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli's official residence, leaving several of them injured as the protest over the new Constitution entered the fourth day.
Tension erupted as the riot police stopped protesters, seeking more rights and representation in Nepal's new Constitution, from moving towards the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar to press for their demands.
Three of the agitators had to be admitted to hospital after the clash, said the agitating groups. Several others received minor injuries.
Hundreds of riot policemen were guarding the PM's residence since early morning to stop the cadres of Federal Alliance, a grouping of 29 political parties, to reach the spot.
After protesting outside Singha Durbar, the country's main administrative centre, for two consecutive days, the Federal Alliance decided to picket outside PM's residence.
Around 500 to 600 people gathered in the area for staging sit-in. Madhesi leaders Mahendra Raya Yadav, Sharad Singh Bhandari and Upendra Mahato also joined them.
Oli yesterday warned that the government will not keep quiet if the protests become violent.
The major demands of Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, include re-demarcation of the seven province model of federal structure, inclusiveness and proportionate representation of marginalised groups and ethnic minorities including the Madhesis, indigenous groups and dalits in all the state bodies.
Meanwhile, extending support to the agitating ethnicgroups, Nepali Congress General Secretary Shashanka Koirala has asked the government to resolve the issues raised by the protesters.
Talking to reporters, Koirala said that their genuine demands should be addressed through peaceful means of dialogue.
Koirala also said that his party was not involved in a conspiracy to topple the incumbent government led by Oli. He, however, said that the government would be formed and dissolved through democratic process.
Protesters want the government to re-write the Constitution to meet their demands. The alliance started their Kathmandu-centric fresh protests on Saturday.
Madhesis earlier had launched six-month-long agitation from September to February in which more than 50 people were killed. The agitation had also crippled the landlocked country's economy as supplies from India were blocked.
Nepal had accused India of imposing an "economic blockade", which India strongly denied.
The alliance has this time changed its strategy and focused their protest in the capital city in an attempt to draw attention of the government and other stakeholders to their demands.
