Pokhara, September 22:

Over 17 persons were hurt when students affiliated to the pro-Maoist All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) and pro-UML All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU) clashed here last night.

Students, including Madan Ale, central member of the ANNISU-R, district member Nawaraj BK and Hom Magar of the Prithvi Narayan (PN) Campus unit committee of the ANNISU-R were injured, ANNISU-R Kaski treasurer Lokraj Dahal said. Ram Chandra Adhikari and Akash Adhikari of the ANNISU-R were also injured, the Kaski District Police Office said.

“ANNFSU students attacked ANNISU-R students with axes behind the entrance gate of the PN Campus,” Dahal charged, adding that some of the injured were undergoing treatment in the Pokhara-based Manipal Teaching Hospital.

ANNFSU activists, including ANNISU (Kaski) chairman Imanraj Poudel, Chandra Buda, Sushil Basnet and Rajendra Gautam of the Paschimanchal Engineering College were injured in the clash,

ANNFSU western regional chief Shivji Gurung said, adding, Poudel and Gautam were undergoing treatment at the Pokhara-based Charak Hospital.

Cops, including inspector Binod Sharma, Bhim Bhujel, Bhum Bahadur Basnet and Tank Jaisi of the Bagar Ward Police Office, were injured, police said, adding that Bikash Bist, Muhar Rawal and Rajendra Gurung of the Nepal Students Union were also injured.

ANNFSU and ANNISU-R students were engaged in a dispute on the sidelines of the conference of the primary committee of the ANNFSU at PEC yesterday.

“The ANNISU-R students tried to disrupt the conference by raising the issue of irregularity in the campus before the conference,” Shivaji Gurung of the ANNFSU said. ANNISU-R treasurer Dahal claimed that the ANNFSU’s allegations are false.

The ANNISU-R, saying that its leaders were attacked, disrupted traffic in front of the PN Campus gate for an hour this morning.