Two ex-ministers of Nepal held on rioting charges

Former Home Minister Kamal Thapa and ex-Agriculture Minister BP Mandal were held for their involvement in spreading riots in Terai.

Two senior ministers of the erstwhile Royal Cabinet of Nepal have been arrested for their alleged involvement in spreading riots in Terai region that claimed eight lives, including that of an Indian national.

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Former Home Minister Kamal Thapa and ex-Agriculture Minister Badri Prasad Mandal were arrested from their homes on Monday night, highly-placed sources said.

Both were senior aides to King Gyanendra during his 14-month long direct rule.

The seven-party alliance government has claimed that the pro-King people have infiltrated into the movement launched by the Madhesi community for their genuine rights.

The sources also revealed that more ministers in the royal cabinet are also on the hit list.

Both Thapa and Mandal are among those whose names were recommended for stern action by the high-level Probe Commission for suppressing April's pro-democracy people's movement in the Himalayan nation.

Commerce Minister Hridayesh Tripathi has resigned from his post on Monday alleging that the government failed to address the Madhesi community's issues.

Meanwhile, the eight-party meeting, which ended inconclusively on Monday, will meet again today, sources close to the Cabinet said.

The political parties have in principle agreed to address the issues raised by the Madhesi community to resolve the crisis, the sources said.