Nawalparasi, June 23:

Activists of the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF) today vandalised the Parasi-based office of the CPN-Maoist. Police fired four rounds of teargas shells and resorted to baton-charge to take the MJF cadres under control.

The MJF had called a bandh in the Parasi bazaar, the district headquarters of Nawalparasi, today to put pressure on the local administration to release 11 MJF cadres, who were arrested by police during the Madhes bandh yesterday.

Superintendent of Police Govinda Niraula said, “The MJF cadres vandalised the signboard and windowpanes of the Maoists’ office.” “After firing teargas shells, police baton-charged MJF cadres. No one was hurt in the police action.”

The MJF vandalised the Maoists’ office, saying that cadres of the Young Communist League helped the police arrest the MJF cadres. Police had arrested the MJF cadres for vandalising vehicles during yesterday’s Madhes bandh.

A meeting, held in the office of the Chief District Officer (CDO) today after the MJF threatened to continue the shutdown of the Parasi bazaar until the arrestees were freed, had decided to free the MJF cadres.

“An agreement was reached to free the arrested MJF cadres in the meeting attended by me, MJF district chairman Kailash Mahato, SP Niraula and representatives of political parties,” CDO Govinda Khanal said.

The MJF has threatened to resort to vandalism again, but called off the Parasi bandh following the release of its arrested cadres.