A central member of Maoist-aligned Young Communist League (YCL) was killed in a ‘clash’ between the YCL members and Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) activists in Ganwaha of Rupandehi district Wednesday morning.
Jeetendra, YCL vice-chairman of Lumbini zone, was killed in the clash that had ensued after MJF activists engaged in a verbal dispute with a team comprising YCL cadres, rights activists and media persons that had gone to inspect the barrage that India had built by encroaching upon Nepalese land in Gunwaha area, reports said quoting police officials.
During the clash, MJF activists also kidnapped YCL’s Rupandehi leader Mani. His whereabouts are still unknown. Police said they were unable to confirm anything officially as they were yet to receive full information about the incident.
Reports coming in from Rupandehi say the MJF activists used hand grenade, homemade weapons, machetes and spears against the YCL cadres.
In another incident, after YCL activists had set fire to the house belonging to MJF leader Om Prakash Yadav in Shivapur, a place at some distance from Gunwaha, which is considered an MJF stronghold, irate locals had attacked YCL cadres resulting in further clashes.
The team that had gone to inspect the barrage has not come into contact while, according to reports, the Maoist have dispatched large number of cadres to the area.
Following the clash, armed cadres of the forum including the local residents of Shivapur village fled to India for safety.
The situation in and around Ganwaha is tense as large number of government security personnel have been deployed fearing further clashes between the two sides.
Similarly, reports from Jhapa say that local administration has prevented MJF from holding its central assembly in Bhadrapur of Jhapa fearing the possibility of violence. MJF’s central vice-chairman Kishor Kumar Biswas and some other leaders were to address the assembly.
Meanwhile, in protest of the killing of their leader Dasarath Thakur aka Rohit by cadres of Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-Goit), Maoists have announced shutdown strike in Rabjbiraj Bazaar of Saptari district.
Normal life in Rajbiraj has been badly affected by the strike, according to reports. The CPN-Maoist has requested the government to arrest Thakur’s murderers and take strong action against them.
Similarly, four people were injured in a clash between Maoists and Nepali-Congress (Democratic) cadres in Ramechhap district today. The dispute resorted at the village council meeting had resulted in a violent scuffle.