Former Prime Minister and Chairman of Naya Shakti Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai, was arrested from outside the Election Commission (EC) Office at Kantipath, Kathmandu on Sunday. Bhattarai, his wife Hisila Y ami, and CPN Maoist Revolutionary leader CP Gajurel, among others, were held while they were staging a sit-in out outside the EC office. According to Bhattarai’s aide Bishwodeep Pandey, police personnel badly treated the leaders by hauling them into a truck after their arrest. Five political parties registered with the EC including Naya Shakti Nepal staged sit-in outside EC in protest against what they said as the election holding body’s refusal to grant election symbol. Prior to this, the agitating political parties had submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasadi Yadav demanding amendment to the Election Act 2073. While submitting a memorandum to PM Dahal on Thursday, Naya Shaki Nepal had issued a 48-hour memorandum to PM Dahal. Naya Shakti, among others parties, staged a two-hour sit-in (from 9 to 11) this morning outside EC offices across the nation. निर्वाचन आयोग धर्ना दिन गएका पूर्वप्रधानमन्त्री एवं नयाँ शक्ति पार्टी, नेपालका अध्यक्ष बाबुराम भट्टराई पक्राउ परेका छन् । आइतबार बिहान आयोगको कान्तिपथस्थित कार्यालयमा धर्ना दिएका भट्टराईसहित नयाँ शक्ति नेतृसमेत रहेकी पत्नी हिसिला यमी, नेकपा माओवादी क्रान्तिकारीका नेता सीपी गजुरेल पनि पक्राउ परेका छन् । भट्टराईका स्वकीय सचिव विश्वदीप पाण्डेले पक्राउ परेका नेताहरुलाई ट्रकमा राखेर प्रहरीले तल्लोस्तरको व्यवहार देखाएको बताए । नयाँ शक्तिलगायतका निर्वाचन आयोगमा दर्ता भएका पाँच दर्जन दलले स्थानीय तह चुनावमा दलीय चुनाव चिन्ह नदिएको भन्दै कान्तिपथस्थित निर्वाचन आयोग अगाडि धर्ना दिएका हुन् । उनीहरुले स्थानीय तह निर्वाचन ऐन २०७३ संशोधनका लागि यसअघि प्रधानमन्त्री पुष्पकमल दाहाल, प्रमुख निर्वाचन आयुक्त अयोधीप्रसाद यादवलाई ज्ञापन पत्र दिएका थिए । नयाँ शक्तिले बिहीबार नै प्रधानमन्त्रीलाई ज्ञापन पत्र बुझाउँदै ऐन संशोधनका लागि ४८ घण्टाको समय दिएको थियो । समयसीमाभित्र ऐन संशोधन नभएको भन्दै नयाँ शक्तिसहितका दलले बिहान ९ बजेदेखि ११ बजेसम्म आयोगसहित देशभरका कार्यालयमा धर्ना दिएका हुन् ।