Dhangadi, August 25

A day after seven police personnel and a child were murdered in the course of an agitation in Tikapur, Kailali, Tharu leaders here expressed grief over the incident, claiming it was something orchestrated by ‘elements up for aborting the agitation for legitimate concerns of the oppressed lot’.

Yesterday, seven policemen including the Seti Zonal Police Office, Dhangadi Chief SSP Laxman Neupane and a two-year-old child were murdered in cold blood when supporters of Tharuhat and Madhesi parties clashed with police in Tikapur area. Forty-two other security personnel were also injured.

Former Constituent Assembly member and Tharuhat agitation leader Birman Chaudhary condemned the incident, demanding a fair probe.

“There must be infiltration of those who are harbouring ill will and are up to denting the age-old communal harmony between Tharus and the hill region people and such elements are still trying to provoke the communities against each other,” Chaudhary argued.

Lahuram Chaudhary, chairperson of the Tharu Kalyankarisabha in Kailali, urged police to play a positive a role to maintain harmony across communities.

“The incident seems to have been triggered by police oppression,” Chaudhary said, adding, “We have kept patience till now. Normalcy can only return if all sides exercise restraint.”

While CPN-UML lawmaker Ramani Chaudhary attributed the incident to lack of precautions on the part of the police administration, Nepali Congress CA member Buddhi Sagar Chaudhary decried the violence and sought that the guilty be brought to justice.

Everyone has the right to protest peacefully for their legitimate demands, but doing the same by using violence is not acceptable,” he said.