Dhangadhi, February 28:

Maoist cadres have collected donations forcefully for their mass meeting to be organised in Dhangadhi, victims have alleged. The Maoists sought huge donations from small shop owners as well as from big industrialists, those forced to pay up said.

Maoist chairman Prachanda and other top leaders will address the mass meet scheduled for tomorrow.

The Maoists have speeded up their donation collection campaign from vehicles plying on different road sections of the Mahendra highway for the past few days. The Maoists also give receipts inscribed “Support for the programme to be addressed by Prachanda, commander of new Nepal”. Local businessmen said donation collection by the Maoists, at a time when the government has undertaken the responsibility to feed the Maoist army, is inappropriate.

Maoists’ Kailali in-charge Parasmani said only voluntary donation was being collected for the programme. Admitting that donation around Rs 7 lakh was collected from the city area today, Parasmani claimed the collection was not forcible.