Police personnel have used water cannons and teargas to disperse supporters of controversial businessman Durga Prasai as they attempted to cross the area fixed for the demonstration.

Police have accused Prasai of inciting the crowd. Protesters pelted stones targeting security personnel as soon as Prasai left the scene after addressing the protest at Balkhu.

Prasai, who is organising the people under his ‘Nation, Nationality, Religion-Culture and Citizen Rescue Campaign,’ has threatened to topple the regime and reinstate the monarchy and Hindu Kingdom.

Earlier today, CPN-UML’s youth wing members and Prasai’s supporters clashed during a protest at Balkhu in Kathmandu.

Prasai’s supporters pelted stones at UML cadres after the latter reached Balkhu during a motorcycle rally. Vehicles used by the demonstrators, and those parked on the roadside, were also damaged by Prasai supporters.

Earlier this week, the Kathmandu district administration had declared the Maitighar to Baneshwar road section as a prohibited area for protests for a month as both sides planned their show of strength in the same areas. They were asked to stage the demonstrations outside the ring road.

Lalitpur district administration followed suit and declared certain areas of the district prohibited from protests for three months.