Tuesday, March 8 2005 22:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kathmandu: Defying the ban, five political parties in Nepal today (Mar 8, 2005) organised rallies across the country to protest against the royal takeover during which at least 300 protestors, including eight former Ministers were taken into custody.

Among the former Ministers arrested were Bhim Kumari Budhamagar, Bidya Bhandari, Govinda Kandel and Rudra Mani Bhandari. Eleven women activists were among those arrested.

Demonstrators shouting anti-Government slogans marched through the streets of Kathmandu, Tanahu, Chitwan and Dhanusha, defying the ban on protest shows and public meeting amidst presence of heavily armed riot police.

Police broke up the anti-King protests and arrested at least 50 people in Kathmandu, 35 in Tanahu, 14 in Chitwan, 137 in Dhanusha, 24 in Pokhara and seven in Dhangadhi.

This was the second major protest after King Gyanendra seized power on February 1. It coincided with the International Women's Day.

Over 450 people, detained after the takeover, have been languishing in different jails and top leaders, including Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala and Nepal Communist Party-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal have been put under house arrest.