NC, NSU call bandh to protest Sunday’s violence

Pokhara, December 15:

Normal life was crippled in Pokhara due to a bandh called by the Nepali Congress (NC) and its affiliated students’ body, Nepal Students’ Union (NSU), Kaski.

The bandh was called to protests vandalism and arson committed by Maoists and UML-affiliated students’ bodies - ANNISU-R and ANNFSU - at Janapriya Multiple Campus. The Left students’ unions also allegedly misbehaved with Sabita Baidya, campus chief.

Saroj KC, former NSU secretary, was hurt when the police intervened to foil his bid to disrupt traffic at Bhimsen Chowk this morning. The agitators burnt tyres, shouted slogans at intersections and forcibly closed shops and educational institutions to drive home their point.

Yesterday, ANNISU-R and ANNFSU representatives vandalised Janapriya Multiple Campus and locked Sabita Baidya inside a room.

Baidya tendered her resignation shortly after the humiliation. The rowdy act was a

culmination of rejection of their 19-point charter of demands. NC Kaski district chairman Yagya Bahadur Thapa denounced the activities of the ANNFSU and ANNISU-R.

Meanwhile, the campus management committee has urged the student bodies to form an ad-hoc committee to sort out the dispute and call off all protest programmes.

“Campus properties worth Rs 5 lakh was damaged due to arson and vandalism yesterday,” said Shyam Prasad Baral, president, campus management committee.