Kathmandu, Nov. 18 -- Police on Monday night arrested controversial medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai.

Deputy Inspector General Om Adhikari, the acting chief of the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, said Prasai was taken into custody from his residence in Bhaktapur and is now held at the Kathmandu District Police Range, Bhadrakali.

Prasai, who calls himself the coordinator of a campaign to defend the nation, nationalism, religion and culture, had publicly warned of nationwide protests from November 23. Police moved in as he was preparing for the planned agitation.

Security agencies had been closely monitoring him after a series of provocative speeches in which he claimed he could bring the country to a standstill.

A few days ago, his gr...