Bara/Janakpurdham, March 30

The government decision to put off the ongoing Secondary Education Examination in Province 2 after the question papers were leaked has angered students who demonstrated against the decision in different parts of the province today.

Tension ran high in Jitpur, Bara, for the entire day following a clash between the police and students. The clash took place when the police tried to end vehicular obstruction created by angry students protesting the postponement of the exam.

Over half a dozen persons, including police, were injured in the clash. Injured students Ramita Chaudhary, Harishankar Gupta and others who could not be treated at local health facilities have been sent to Birgunj for further treatment. Police constable Lalandev Yadav, EK Singh, Niru Shrestha and others who were also injured in the clash are undergoing treatment at local health facilities.

Angry students torched a police jeep and a two-wheeler belonging to Area Police Office,Jitpur. After the demonstrators also attempted to torch other vehicles parked near the area police office, a police team from Nijgadh and the District Police Office had arrived in Jitpur.

DSP Hem Shahi, who led the reinforcement, is also said to be have been injured in the clash. Police had fired bullets in the air and lobbed tear gas shells to take the situation under control.

According to SP Sanuram Bhattarai, the detained students have been kept in the custody of the District Police Office, Bara.

Agitating students in Dhanusha vandalised a vehicle used by Province 2 Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Yogendraraj Yadav, while he was on his way to Birgunj from Janakpur to participate in a meeting of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal’s sister organisation Socialist Youth Forum. “The students were obstructing the road. As we reached there, some of them started pelting stones at our vehicle. We somehow managed to get out of the place,” said the minister.

Student Ramesh Yadav, who was involved in the demonstration, sought the resignation of Education Minister Girirajmani Pokharel. Janakpur-Dhalkebar road was obstructed for about an hour today due to the students’ agitation.

Demonstrations were also held in different places in Saptari district. While students demonstrated by burning tyres at Gajendra Chowk and Janaandolan Chowk in the district headquarters Rajbiraj, angry students obstructed vehicular movement and demonstrated at various points on the East-west highway, including at Barmajhiya, Kaderbona, Kharchuiya, Kathauna and Kalyanpur.

Meanwhile, a Central Investigation Bureau team that arrived in Janakpur has started its investigation into the question paper leak. According to Dhanusha SP Shekhar Khanal, CIB team today met local journalist Shailendra Mahato, who claimed to be the first person who had seen the leaked question paper on social media.

After the SEE Science and Social Studies papers were leaked on Thursday and Friday, the government had decided to put off the SEE in Province 2 until April 4.