Members of the CPN-UML’s youth wing and supporters of controversial businessman Durga Prasai clashed during a protest at Balkhu in Kathmandu on Thursday.

Prasai’s supporters pelted stones at the 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.

The situation has been brought under control by the police. 

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.

The UML and Prasai are holding separate Kathmandu-centric demonstrations on Thursday. The former is demonstrating at Koteshwar Tinkune while Prasai supporters have taken to Balkhu to stage their demonstrations.

Kathmandu’s traffic has been thrown out of gear for a couple of hours due to the two groups’ demonstrations. Police have diverted vehicles from certain areas to avoid traffic chaos in the places where the demonstrators have gathered in large numbers.

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 the sides planned their show of strength at 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 for protests for three months.