Maoists call indefinite Kapilvastu bandh

Kapilvastu, June 9:

The Maoists have called an indefinite Kapilvastu district bandh from today to press for the removal of the Nepal Army (NA) camp at Kudarbetwa in Birpur VDC. The camp was established in July-August 2004.

Life in the district was affected due to the bandh. Hundreds of passengers were stranded in neighbouring districts due to the traffic disruption on Mahendra Highway, police said.

In Kapilvastu, academic institutions, industries and business centres remained shut while traffic stayed off the road.

Stating that the local administration cannot remove the NA’s base camp, CDO Narendra Dahal said, “Decision from the central level is needed for removal of the camp.”

“NA personnel are staying in the camp as per the agreement reached among UN representatives, leaders of the seven political parties and the Maoists,” said Lt Colonel Baburam Shrestha, chief of the Shiv Dal Battalion. “The NA camp is running in a house belonging to Mohid Khan, the chairman of the Maoist Retaliation Committee, that was formed during the Maoist insurgency. So we protest the camp here,” said Maoist district secretary Sanjiv Kumar. “The security personnel should leave the house because they should not be deployed for the security of an individual or his property,” he added.