Rajbiraj, December 31:

A chakka jam was staged today for two hours on the Rupani road section of Mahendra Highway to protest against the execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

The protest was headed by Mohammad Kalam, secretary of the Maoists’ sister organisation Mithila Region Coordination Committee.

A report from Pokhara said the Muslim community here burnt an effigy of US President George W Bush against the death penalty to Saddam.

A rally headed by the Nepal Muslim Youth Committee went round the city and staged a corner meeting at Bhimsen Chowk. Participants chanted anti-American slogans. Addressing the corner meeting, Sharafat Ali, chairman of the youth committee said: “The execution of Saddam was a ploy of western nations to weaken the Muslim world.” People of other religious communities were also present in the rally.

In Dhankuta too, youths and students staged a protest rally. The rally went round Dhankuta Bazaar.