CA building, periphery heavily guarded

KATHMANDU, JAN 23 - Areas surrounding theCA hall in New Baneshwor saw a thick presence of security personnel on Thursday as they guarded the place against protesters.

Heavy barricades with riot control forces, water cannons and frequent movements of police vehicles marked the day as the police kept people off the CA premises. The security personnel were armed with tear gas shells

and rubber bullets.

The police remained in high alert for possible penetration of the security layer as the UCPN (Maoist)-led 30-party alliance warned of picketing the CA building.

Nepal Police deployed more than 450 officials around the CA building while an equal number of Armed Police Force personnel stood by to secure the perimeter from possible incidents of violence. A three-layer security ring was maintained to stop protesters from entering the prohibited zone.

Each team was armed with tear gas canisters, shotguns and small arms. Police in civvies separately looked after the overall security management. Sniffer dogs were the extra muscle at almost all interiors in the Baneshwor area and vulnerable parts elsewhere.

Inside the CA building, rigorous screening of lawmakers was done, as 10 packets of chilli powder were recovered from the Assembly hall on Thursday morning. A large number of marshals were deployed to avert any unruly behaviour as displayed by the Maoist and Madhesi lawmakers on Monday midnight in which furniture and microphones were vandalised.

23 Jan 2015, Kathmandu- Three deputy inspector generals (DIG) from Nepal Police and the APF coordinated the security arrangement. DIG Hemanta Pal from the Metropolitan Police Commissioner’s Office and APF DIG Durga Kunwar held the command of the personnel stationed outside the CAbuilding while Nepal Police DIG Madhusudan Pudasaini took charge of security inside the CAbuilding. DIG Pal said the New Baneshwor area did not witness any violent activities and no arrests were made.

CA members from the Maoist and Madhesi parties said they were harassed during security checks. The Maoist party criticised in a statement the removal of microphones from the opposition bench. During the meeting held in the wee hours of Tuesday, microphones were used to target some sitting members.