The main opposition NC has announced nationwide general strike Monday to pressurise the government to meet its four demands.
The office bearers’ meeting on Sunday decided to enforce the strike as the government expressed inability to address its demand immediately. Organising a press conference at the party President Sushil Koirala’s residence, the NC announced that the general strike would be imposed from 6 am to 4 pm Monday.
The party has also appealed to the public, industries, vehicles and educational institutions to express solidarity with its strike.
Following the death of Chitwan district Tarun Dal chairman Shiva Paudel, NC sister wings have been staging protests nationwide. A torch rally was taken out on Sunday evening in Chitwan and Kathmandu. Paudel, who was severely injured in an attack by inmates inside Chitwan district jail on 6 December, died while undergoing treatment in Kathmandu on Saturday.
Poudel was jailed on charges of murder of Sanjaya Lama, a member of the UML youth wing, Youth Association Nepal on September. The same month, Tarun Dal and other sister organisations were dissolved by the party's majority decision.
NC has been demanding that Paudel be declared a martyr, withdrawal of cases filed against his colleagues, compensation to his family and expulsion of Home Minister for his failure to ensure security inside the jail.
The NC condemned the incident saying that the administration jailed ‘innocent Poudel’ for a false charge and ordered his murder.
A cabinet meeting on Saturday has already decided to hand over a million rupees to Poudel’s family and formed a three-member probe commission under the coordination of former Justice Mohan Sitaula.
The party office bearers met Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Sunday afternoon with their demands. Bhattarai requested them to wait until the probe committee comes up with its report on the incident before government takes further step.NC leaders directly went to the residence of party president and announced the strike to the press.
Arjun Narsingh KC said Bhattarai asked for some time to discuss whether murder convict Poudel could be announced a martyr or not. “We will go ahead with the strike tomorrow. If the government can not ensure security within a jail, how can it guarantee security of the public,” he said.