Friday, January 20 2006 17:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) today (Jan 20, 2006) strongly condemned Nepal royal government's crackdown on political leaders to thwart an anti-King rally and expressed confidence that the people of the Himalayan Kingdom will respond to the call for ending the 'autocratic' regime.

As the royal government imposed curfew in Kathmandu and arrested several political activists, CPI(M) Polit Bureau said, "there is no doubt whatsoever that the King will not allow any democratic political activities". "The General Secretary of the CPN(UML) Madhav Kumar and the President of the Nepali Congress G P Koirala have been placed under house arrest. Scores of activists are still being rounded up," the party Polit Bureau said in a sttement.

It said the party was "confident that the people of Nepal will respond in a big way to the call for ending the autocratic regime".

Six political activists, including Nepal Sadbhawana Party leader Rajendra Mahato, were today arrested for defying curfew and staging demonstrations in Nepal.

The government has arrested more than 200 people including prominent party leaders, human right activists and civil society members from Kathmandu yesterday and most of the leaders have gone underground to prepare for the planned demonstration today.

Authorities had also cut off mobile and wireless phone services yesterday.

The Solidarity Committee for Restoration of Democracy in Nepal had also last night condemned the massive crackdown to prevent the rally called by the seven-party alliance.