The southern city of Janakpur remained totally closed Tuesday amidst rumours that the Maoists had called for the ‘shutdown’ strike in the holy city.

Local Maoist leadership called up Janakpur-based media organisations saying that their party had not called for the shutdown strike in Dhanusha district, but the city remained totally closed as nobody wanted to take a chance.

Janakpur is the district headquarters of Dhanusha.

Even in the capital, Kathmandu, schools, colleges, shops, factories and private offices remained closed for the two consecutive days (on Monday and Tuesday) though the Maoist-affiliated Newa National Liberation Front said it had called transportation strike and closure of the government-owned offices.

The organisation said it had called the strike in protest of the act of killing and making its cadres and leaders disappeared after taking them into custody by security forces.

The government refutes such allegations.

The two-day strike passed off largely peacefully in the capital valley.