Kathmandu, Nepal: "We have arrested 13 cadres for intimidating shopkeepers into shutting down their businesses and for stopping vehicles," spokesman Kamal Singh Bam told AFP.
"This morning, a parked taxi was set on fire. A few other vehicles have been attacked with stones, but no one has been injured yet."
Disagreement between the parties has led Nepal's politicians to miss a series of deadlines to draft a new national constitution.
The charter was designed to complete a peace process begun after Maoist guerrillas laid down arms in 2006, ending a decade-long insurgency.
"The ruling parties have forced us to call this strike," said Prem Bahadur Singh, opposition alliance spokesperson.
The new constitution has to be drafted on the basis of consensus, they cannot exploit their majority status to do what they want," Singh told AFP.
A key sticking point concerns internal borders, with the opposition pushing for new provinces to be created along lines that could favour historically marginalised communities.
Other parties have attacked this model, calling it too divisive and a threat to national unity.
Nepalese police arrested over a dozen demonstrators today for trying to enforce a nationwide Maoist-led strike to protest the ruling coalition's plan to push through a new constitution without opposition agreement.
The opposition has forced factories, schools and public transport to shut down across the Himalayan nation to protest government plans to hold a vote on disputed terms of the charter after failing to reach cross-party agreement.
Police said scores of security personnel had been deployed in Kathmandu as a 30-party opposition alliance headed by former Maoist rebels kicked off a three-day strike.
"This morning, a parked taxi was set on fire. A few other vehicles have been attacked with stones, but no one has been injured yet."
Advertisement
The charter was designed to complete a peace process begun after Maoist guerrillas laid down arms in 2006, ending a decade-long insurgency.
Advertisement
The new constitution has to be drafted on the basis of consensus, they cannot exploit their majority status to do what they want," Singh told AFP.
Advertisement
Other parties have attacked this model, calling it too divisive and a threat to national unity.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Black Box Of Aircraft Crashed In Nepal Found, Handed Over To Probe Team Explained: Why Nepal Suffers From High Number Of Air Crashes? Nepal Crash Puts Spotlight On Table-Top Runways Risk, India Has 5 Of Them Vandalism At Kolkata Hospital Where Doctor Was Raped, Tear Gas Fired Starbucks' Indian-Origin CEO, Recently Fired, Never Worked Past 6 pm 150 mg Semen In Kolkata Doctor's Body, Suspect Gang-Rape: Parents To Court Delhi Airport Becomes 1st To Achieve Net Zero Carbon Emission Status US Welcomes India's Engagement In War Between Russia, Ukraine Google Says Iran Hackers Target Trump, Kamala Harris Campaigns Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.