Nepali Congress on Tuesday held massive protests against KP Sharma Oli government in the country’s 77 district headquarters with over half a million people joining street rallies.

Top Nepali Congress leaders addressed mass gathering at Shantibatika in Ratnapark, Kathmandu. The party despatched its senior leaders to various districts to address mass meetings.

Over half of the million people turned out on the streets, the Congress claimed in a statement. Party leaders, grassroots workers and well-wishers turned out in big numbers in the protests against the federal government’s functioning, the statement said. There were no reports of clashes or violent incidents during the protests.

The main opposition party accuses the government of authoritarianism, not following the constitution and not delivering promises it made to citizens.

The party opposes the government’s refusal to grant Rs 100,000 to earthquake affected families to build their homes, centralisation of the power by the federal government in Kathmandu, the government’s attempt to muzzle the constitutional bodies including the judiciary, running the government in an authoritarian

way and government’s attempt to muzzle the freedom of media.

Congress leaders urged the government to take measures to curb rising inflation and its revoke its decisions of annulling political appointees made by Sher Bahadur Deuba government earlier.

A key issue the party raised at the meetings was the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament should be from different political parties as per the Article no 91 (2) of the constitution.

Others issues that Congress highlighted were the government’s rejection to provide Rs 5,000 medical allowance to patients with serious cancer, spinal injuries, kidney and heart ailments. The protests on Tuesday ends NC’s programme announced earlier.

The party has not yet decided its future action plan. Some leaders said a meeting of party office bearers would decide whether to announce fresh round of agitation or not.

The mass rallies across the nation was to spread awareness on various issue and put pressure on the government to implement the agreements it reached with activist Dr Govinda KC, the Congress said in its statement.

Today’s protest across the country and huge participation of citizens proves there is huge support to the agenda’s put forth by the NC, the party said, this is also a warning to the government to correct its measures.