RAJBIRAJ: The Rastriya Janata Party Nepal disrupted an orientation programme organised for  election officers deputed in Saptari district by the District election Office and reportedly took 55 election officers under control for an hour.

The RJP-N cadres reportedly reached the Rajbiraj-based Mahendra Bindeshwori Multiple Campus before 10:00 am , where the training was scheduled to be held today. They picketed the Campus until election officers and assistant officers arrived there for the training and held some 55 officers for an hour.

However, claiming the protest was peaceful, RJP General Secretary Manish Suman said that the officers were not taken under control. He further added that they were rather informed about why RJP is protesting against the June 28 local polls by former minister  Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav and he himself. Suman said they picketed the training venue and persuaded the officers not to attend the orientation training.

District Election Officer Mahesh Kumar Mandal informed that he had learnt some 5 officers were held for an hour, adding the training has been postponed until further notice following the RJP-Nepal protest.

The local administration has said with the reports of RJP move, it had sent the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force (APF) personnel to the site so as to avert any untoward incidents.

According to Saptari Police spokesperson and Deputy Superintendent of Police Yadav Raj Upreti, tensions have grown at the site, following the RJP action. However, Yadav claimed that the election officers were not taken under control by RJP cadres.

Meanwhile, life in the district has come to a grinding halt today too, the second day of the Madhes banda announced by the RJP.

The party cadres burnt tyres at different parts of the district including the district headquarters Rajbiraj since early morning. Long and short-route vehicles are off the road while market areas, shops, teaching institutions, factories and industries have remained closed, owing to the shutdown.

Similarly, the agitating leaders and cadres have obstructed the vehicular movement in Bhardaha, Kanchanpur, Rupani, Kadamaha, Kalyanpur and along the Rajbiraj-Bhardaha section of the East-West Highway.

The Saptari local administration has mobilised security force in multiple locations of the district to avert any untoward incident, the DPO Saptari stated.