British national arrested for participating in Madhesi protest

Nepal Police on Monday arrested a British national for participating in the anti-constitution agitation of the Madhesis and Janajatis here.

Identified as Martin Travers, 44, the British passport holder was arrested on Monday afternoon from the midst of the protesters after Nepali media was awash about the participation of foreigners in the ongoing anti-government protest.

Travers is a mural painter and paints people's portraits.

His friends denied he was part of the protest.

They maintained that he had got interested in the demonstrators and was planning to paint their pictures when somebody came up to him and tied the protest band on his forehead.

Kathmandu District Chief District Officer Ram Krishna Subedi confirmed the arrest of Travers who showed up with a protester's flag and had the red protest band on his forehead.

Travers told media that he was taking pictures of the protesters when somebody came and tied the bandanna on his forehead.

He told police that he is living in Lalitpur, an adjoining district of capital Kathmandu.

Recently, Nepal had sent back a Canadian national, Robert Penner, for supporting the ethnic movement on Twitter.

Social media and some mainstream media raised the issue of involvement of foreigners in the protest called by the Sanghiya Gathabandhan or Federal Alliance on Sunday.

"We have proceeded with action against the British national," said Home Ministry spokesperson Yadav Koirala adding that his participation in the protest was against the immigration rule of Nepal.

(Anil Giri can be reached at girianil@ians.in)

--IANS

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