Feedback collected despite obstruction

Hetauda, July 20

Amid the protest and obstruction from some ethnic and Madhes-based parties and their cadres, feedback from the public was collected across the country.

Pralita Thapa, Adviser of Women’s Organisation affiliated to Rastriya Prajatantra party-Nepal and Chairman Kamal Thapa’s wife, was injured when a minor clash broke out in Hetauda, Makawanpur.

The clash had erupted after police tried to prevent the RPP-N activists from entering the feedback collection venue at Hatiya, Hetauda.

RPP-N Makawanpur Chairman Navraj Bista said Pralita Thapa had received minor injury on her head when police forcefully tried to shut the gate. RPP-N central member Rajaram Bartaula was also hurt in the incident.

RPP-N leaders and cadres had staged a motorcycle rally demanding Hindu state and constitutional monarchy in Hetauda. Following the rally, they had reached the feedback collection venue.

Area Police Office Madi in Chitwan briefly arrested five people for burning the copies of the draft statute on Sunday. The arrested are RPP-N’s Krishna Tiwari and Mohan Baidhya-led Maoists Devilal Paudel, Kedar Adhikari, Chandra Prasad Subedi, and Chitra Bahadur Nepali. Participation at the programmes held in five constituencies of Chitwan was thick.

No sooner had  former Speaker Taranath Ranabhat started speaking after CA member Rabindra Adhiakri had opened the floor for suggestions at Sabha Griha in Pokhara, Mohan Baidhya-led CPN- Maoist cadres demonstrated with black flags and threw pamphlets. This had obstructed the programme for some time.

Security forces had escorted the agitating cadres from the hall. Activists of Socialist Forum Nepal shouted slogans for two hours and burned the copies outside the hall.

RPP-Nepal cadres had shouted slogans seeking the reinstatement of Hindu state at a programme organised in Damauli, Tanahun.

Cadres of Netra Bikram Chand-led Maoist and Baidhya-led Maoists had torn copies of the draft statute. NC leader and CA member Ramchandra Paudel was present at the programme.

Federal Socialist Forum Nepal’s cadres tore copies of the draft constitution at Beshisahar in Lamjung. Police have arrested seven FSF-N cadres.

Meanwhile, despite the obstruction from Federal Limbuwan National Party Nepal, feedback was collected from two constituencies of Panchthar on Sunday.

While feedback collection was underway at Gopetar of Constituency No 1 and Yasoka Bazaar of Constituency No 2, Limbuwan activists shouted slogans against the draft statute outside.

Federal Limbuwan Party Nepal’s central Vice-Chairman Machindra Begha termed  the feedback collection as useless, as the draft statute was a document of only four parties. Limbuwan has been demanding that nine districts to the east of Arun River be demarcated as Limbuwan state.