Over 600 pro-democracy activists, including several top leaders, were arrested and scores injured on Tuesday in a police crackdown on protesters marching towards the royal palace.Riot police mobilised in large numbers clashed with thousands of demonstrators, who were carrying party flags and chanting anti-King and pro-democracy slogans as they broke through a police cordon. About two dozen activists were injured.Nepali Congress (Democratic) acting president Gopalman Shrestha, Janamorcha Nepal president Amik Serchan, Nepali Congress members Ramchandra Poudyal and Ramsharan Mahat, former home minister Khum Bahadur Khada and Nepal Communist Party UML member Bam Dev Gautam were among those arrested as the seven-party alliance intensified its pro-democracy agitation.Nepali Congress office secretary Shobhakar Parajuli claimed at least 300 workers of the party were arrested. Over 200 workers of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) and nearly 100 of the CPN-UML were also detained. —PTI
