Hundreds held in Nepal protests

There were chaotic scenes as protesters were dragged away

Hundreds of people have been arrested in Nepal after defying a government ban on political rallies.

About 1,000 demonstrators, including senior opposition leaders, were detained in raids across the capital, opposition parties and riot police say.

The arrests follow days of mass protests against King Gyanendra. A huge rally had been planned for Friday.

Political parties have vowed to ignore the ban, which affects Kathmandu and surrounding areas.

The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says there were chaotic scenes as protesters were dragged into trucks and driven off to detention centres.

Those arrested included a former deputy prime minister, Shailaja Acharya, and Madhav Kumar Nepal, a leader of the Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist).

The leader of the Nepali Congress opposition party, GP Koirala, was protected from arrest by his supporters.

He told the BBC the detentions were a "naked display of barbarism" by the government.

Executive powers

The police operation was aimed at preventing demonstrators from converging in Ratna Park, near the king's palace, where they have been holding rallies for over a week.

The king is expected back in Kathmandu on Friday after a two-week tour of Pokhara and surrounding districts in the west.

We have decided to go against the government's prohibition order Madhav Kumar Nepal, opposition leader

Thursday's ban means no more than five people can gather in one public place.

Authorities said the ban was for security reasons following what they said was intelligence reports that Maoist rebels had planned to infiltrate and incite violence.

A ban was imposed on similar grounds last September.

However, political opposition leaders vowed on Friday to carry on with their protests.

One leader, Madhav Kumar Nepal, told the AFP news agency: "We have decided to go against the government's prohibition order. All of us are going to defy the restriction order."

The political parties have been engaged in a lengthy campaign against the king's assumption of executive powers, which took place after he dismissed an elected government in October 2002.

They have refused to recognise the prime ministers the king has appointed since then.

The parties have been insisting on the reinstatement of parliament.

They maintain this will also pave the way for resolving the eight-year Maoist rebellion that has left about 9,000 people dead.