Siraha, January 25:

Seven political parties and thousands of people came out on the street to hold a peace rally here, today.

The participants in the rally demanded that five persons died in course of agitation in Lahan incident be declared martyr and their statue be erected.

The rally, which began from local Chandra secondary school at 1:30 pm, and participated in by cadres of seven political parties and people from Itatar, Bishnupur, Madar, Belha, Sarswor, Narahar Bishnupur and Chandrapalpur including two dozen VDCs, went around the city. The rally was turned into corner meet at Siraha Campus.

The meet, which was presided over by Shital Prasad Yadav of Madheshi Janaadhikar Forum(MJF), was addressed by Rajak Raien of Nepali Congress-D, Taleshwor Yadav of Janamorcha Nepal, Abdul Halim of Nepal Sadbhavana Party-Anandidevi, Bijay Kumar KP of CPN-UML and Basu Dev Yadav of Nepali Congress. On the occasion, a one-minute silence was observed to pay tribute to those killed in Lahan incident.

Earlier, a group of agitators demolished the statue of Yugkabi Siddhicharan Shrestha located at Ramnagar Mirchaiya 4 Katari Chowk and renamed ‘Siddhicharan Chowk’ with ‘Madheshi Sahidchowk’. On the occasion, central secretary of he Forum BP Yadav, Surendra Jha and Abharendra Yadav expressed their views.

Meanwhile, Bechan Yadav of Dhodhana 5, who was injured in the Lahan incident on January 23 and died while undergoing treatment in Kathmandu, was cremated by his family members at local Mutani river, today morning.