Kathmandu, May 19:

General secretary of the Nepal Students Union (NSU) Gajendra Karki today said the union would launch a ‘jihad’ against YCL atrocities.

Addressing a gathering of NSU leaders at Ratna Park after a rally held to protest the constant atrocities of the YCL, Karki said the union would begin different programmes to create pressure from the public on the Maoist sister organisation to halt its excesses.

Earlier, the rally that began from Balmeeki Campus at Exhibition Road went through Putalisadak, Kamaladi and Ghantaghar before converging into a mass meet at Ratna Park. The rallyists shouted anti-Maoist slogans.

Protesters also stoned a vehicle of Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Pampha Bhusal who was passing through the road in front of the Tri-Chandra College.

NSU president Pradip Poudel said the union would fully support and express solidarity to the Valley bandh called for Wednesday by the struggle committee formed by Koteshwor locals to protest the murder of Ram Hari Shrestha at the hands of Maoists.

Poudel claimed Maoists were thrashing and putting psychological pressure on teachers in Chitwan and Gorkha for not supporting them in the CA polls.

“Former NSU presidents of Gorkha Hemraj Pokhrel and Buddha Shrestha have been forced to go underground due to threats to their lives from the Maoists,” he said, adding that the union would continue protests against Maoist atrocities.

He called on the public to participate in the protests to create pressure on the Maoists to improve their behaviour.