Nepal Police on Monday fired tear gas shells and baton charged workers of a pro-Hindu party in Kathmandu, injuring more than a dozen of them when they were protesting against the poll watchdog's decision to remove "Hindu State and monarchy" clauses from the party's statute.
The Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), a partner in the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Prachanda's Government, had staged a protest outside the Election Commission's office against the decision it took on Friday to remove the clauses.
The EC has said the clauses contradict the constitutional provisions of a republican system and secularism. The pro-Hindu party has termed the decision "unconstitutional" and said it will challenge it in court.
RPP's chairman and Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa led the protest outside the EC's office when the clashes between the police and the party cadres erupted.
Police baton charged the workers and fired tear gas cells to disperse the agitators. More than a dozen RPP cadres were injured. Some policemen too received injures, officials said.