Most of the attackers were involved in fuel smuggling, alleges NSP central member

Birgunj, December 3

A clash broke out between agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front cadres and Indian nationals at Miteri Bridge on the Birgunj-Raxaul border today, leaving half a dozen agitators injured.

Shatrughan Yadav, Rekha Sah and Madan Yadav were among UDMF cadres injured in the clash after a group of Indian nationals from Ahirwatola of Raxaul attacked the agitators while they were staging a sit-in at Miteri Bridge in the morning.

Earlier too, a group had attacked agitators at the sit-in site on Wednesday night. “When most of the agitators had gone for a meal, they turned up at the sit-in venue and started beating us indiscriminately, saying we had held up Indian trucks in Nepal due to the protest at the border,” said Nepal Sadbhawana Party central member Shiva Patel, alleging that most of the attackers were involved in fuel smuggling.

Among the persons injured in yesterday night’s attack are Ramhin Yadav, Nandu Yadav, Firoj Badshah, Suraj Sah Kanu and Ranjit Saha Kalwar. They are undergoing treatment at Narayani Sub-regional Hospital in Birgunj.

Meanwhile, the sit-in site and Birgunj has been tense ever since the last night attack followed by today’s clash. Protesting the attacks on its cadres on the border, UDMF cadres today staged a demonstration in Birgunj.

Lathi-carrying protesters marched through parts of the city from early this morning, burning tyres and forcing shops to shut down.