Pun attacked again

ROLPA: CPN-Maoist Centre leader Barshaman Pun, who is contesting parliamentary seat from Rolpa and his supporters were attacked again near Kewari Khola of Duikholi Rural Municipality in Rolpa on Sunday, a day after he escaped an explosion.

On Sunday, miscreants fired four bullets on Pun and his supporters while they were on their way to address an election meet at Bagmara of Duikholi Rural Municipality.

Attackers threw boulders down a cliff and halted Pun and his team. DSP Gyanendra Phuyal said security personnel accompanying Pun responded with five rounds of fire.

According to Phuyal, no damage was caused by firing. “Pun and his team are safe and the mass meet concluded peacefully,” DSP Phuyal said.

Security threat in Rukum, Rolpa

Dang, November 12

As the date for the first phase of provincial and parliamentary polls draws close, a series of attacks have targeted left alliance candidates in Rukum and Rolpa districts.

The security threat went up dramatically after CPN-Maoist Centre’s influential leaders Janardan Sharma and Barshaman Pun were attacked.

Shots were fired targeting Maoist Centre leader and candidate for parliament from Rolpa Barshaman Pun and his team during campaigning at Kewari khola of DuikholI Rural Municipality-3 in Rolpa today. The shots were fired at  Pun and his team while they were on the way to address an election meet at Bagmara of Duikholi Rural Municipality. Locals said around nine rounds of bullets were fired.

Attackers had thrown stones from a cliff and halted Pun and his team.

DSP Gyanendra Phuyal in Rolpa said that security personnel deployed for Pun’s security had returned five rounds of fire. According to Phuyal, “Pun and his team are safe and the election mass meeting concluded peacefully, DSP Phuyal said.

Janardan Sharma, CPN-Maoist Centre leader and candidate for parliament from western Rukum and his team were attacked with a bomb on November 10. An Improvised Explosive Device was exploded targeting Barshaman Pun and other leaders and candidates from the left alliance in Rolpa yesterday. Today, shots were fired targeting Pun.

Kewari — where shots were fired targeting Pun’s team — is the birth place of Nepal Communist Party leader Netra Bikram Chand. The party, however, has not taken responsibility for the incident.

Rolpa DSP Phuyal admitted that security threat had increased after the series of attacks on left alliance candidates. Phuyal however said they were committed and ready to conduct polls in free and fearless manner. “We have formulated a security plan to conduct the polls in a peaceful manner,” Phuyal pledged.

Meanwhile, CPN-Maoist Centre leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara and candidate for parliament in Dang-2 said the series of attacks including the IED explosion and shooting that targeted party leaders in Rukum and Rolpa had drawn the party’s serious attention. He asked the government and home ministry to arrange the security to conduct the polls in free and fearless environment.