Kathmandu, April 9:

The seven agitating parties today warned the government that it would be held responsible for any untoward incident resulting from the use of force aimed at restricting people’s Constitutionally guaranteed right to peaceful protests.

The agitating parties also expressed serious concern over the shootings of Tulsi Chhetri in Chitawan and Bhimsen Dahal in Pokhara. According to Nepali Congress, two cadres, Pramila and Pratikshya, were seriously injured after being shot at by the security personnel in Chitwan yesterday.

“The Nepali Congress condemns such inhuman behaviour of the autocratic government,” officiating chief secretary of the NC, Shobhakar Parajuli, said in a press release. He also warned the government that it would have to bear the consequences of its efforts to thwart the ongoing movement.

NC activist Shyam Ghimire of Mahottari was also seriously injured, along with a number of other cadres, in the firing of the security forces at Koteshwor and Banasthali today. The agitators were protesting during curfew hours. Security forces rounded up few dozens of agitators including Shyam Kumar Regmi and Chiranjivi Adhikary.

The NC has also condemned the use of tear gas shells on agitators at Ghattekulo, Jorpati, Lalitpur, Sundhara, Patan, Ghatthaghar and Bhaktapur.

The CPN-UML too has come down heavy on the government for imposing daytime curfew outside the Kathmandu Valley. The UML has flayed the arrests of ANNFSU’s Ram Kumar Basnet, Rama Ale, Dinesh Acharya, Hari Nepal and Rajendra Pokhrel from Putalisadak this morning.

The UML condemned the government for not issuing sufficient number of curfew passes to vehicles of media houses.

The Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) also flayed the imposition of curfew.

The Nepal Workers and Peasant Party lambasted the government’s bid to suppress peaceful rallies. Party treasurer Chaita Raj Shakya urged the people to make the ongoing movement successful.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Human Rights Organisation (HURON) today condemned the killing of Bhimsen Dahal in Pokhara and Tulsi Chetri in Chitwan, saying that the killings indicate the level of intimidation and violence perpetrated by the government.

It has also flayed the crackdown on a rally staged by leading members of the civil society and human rights campaigners yesterday.

Bara firing hurts 2

Bara: Two demonstrators sustained injuries when security personnel opened fire at them on Sunday.

Laxman Chaudhary, 38, of Dumarwana and Tara Karki were shot in their hands, said UML leader Krishna Poudel.

Dozens others, including Dinesh Rai, Palat Chaudhary, Solanath Acharya and Chet Nath Acharya, where injured when police resorted to baton-charge to break up the agitation, he said, adding the protesters had declared Simra airport a police-free zone. The security forces intervened when protesters were about to take out a rally at around 5:00 pm. — HNS