South Asia News
General strike in Nepal after death of inmate
Dec 19, 2011, 7:54 GMT
Kathmandu- Nepal's Congress party enforced a general strike Monday to demand 'martyrdom' for one of its members, who died after being beaten in jail.
Schools, transportation, industries and markets were shut nationwide.
Nepali Congress leader Arjun Narsingh KC promised that the strike would be peaceful.
'No terror and violence, no tyre burning, no vandalism and no disruption to ambulances, diplomats and press and tourists vehicles,' he said.
But demonstrators vandalized and torched vehicles in several areas.
Nepali Congress, the country's second-largest party, called the strike after the government refused to withdraw the murder charges against student leader Shiva Poudel. It said he had been falsely indicted, and demanded the government declare him a martyr.
Poudel was beaten by inmates in Bharatpur prison in south-western Nepal on December 6 and died in hospital Saturday.

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