The Supreme Court on Monday decided to continue the short-term interim stay order on the government’s decision to ban public protests at key places, including Maitighar Mandala, in the city.

A division bench of Justices Om Prakash Aryal and Kedar Prasad Chalise upheld the July 6 order when a bench of Justice Ishwor Khatiwada issued a show cause notice to the government on its decision to ban peaceful demonstrations at public places like Maitighar Mandala and an interim order not to impose the ban.

Later on July 13, a division bench of Hari Krishna Karki and Dambar Bahadur Shahi passed the order, first issued on July 6.

Advocate Tripathi had filed a writ petition on July 5 in the SC urging a stay order on the government’s decision to ban public rallies at Maitighar Mandala and other places in the city.

In his writ, petitioner Tripathi had claimed restricting people from staging peaceful protests violates their freedom of expression.Subsequently, the authorities detained many protestors who defied the protest rally ban.

Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa on June 29 had declared Maitighar Mandala as a protest free zone effective from July 15, reiterating the Kathmandu District Security Committee’s decision announced on April 13.

Citing the practice followed by many countries of designating specific places for demonstrations, the Nepal government imposed ban public rallies at some popular places.