Kathmandu, March 31 The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) announced a two-week-long protest starting April 11 against the arrest of former prime minister and party chairman K P Sharma Oli.
Former prime minister and then home minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested on Saturday for their alleged involvement in suppressing last year's Gen Z protest, which resulted in the deaths of 76 people.
The arrests came after the newly formed Balendra Shah government decided to implement the report of the probe commission into the Gen Z protests during its first cabinet meeting.
The CPN-UML stated that it would organize demonstrations in all municipalities on April 11 and stage similar protests across all wards on April 16.
It also said that it would organize protests throughout all seven provincial capitals on April 20 and a large protest rally here on April 25 to demonstrate its strength.
This latest protest announcement by the party came after the Supreme Court refused to grant interim relief to Oli and Lekhak on Monday.
The Kathmandu District Court granted a five-day judicial remand of Oli and Lekhak to the Nepal Police to record their statements.
A high-level meeting of the CPN-UML on Tuesday termed the arrests by the newly-elected Balen government as illegal, unconstitutional, and aimed at taking revenge.
Urging the government to immediately release the two leaders, the party said it would fight political and legal battles both on the streets and in parliament.
The party also plans to raise the issue in parliament as both Houses commence on Thursday.
The CPN-UML has 25 representatives in the 275-member House of Representatives. It has called upon all other political parties and civil society organizations to participate in its protest programs.
Hundreds of CPN-UML activists organized protest rallies over the weekend, during which over a dozen party cadres were injured as they clashed with the riot police. The protest rally on Monday was peaceful.