18 injured in NC-NCP clash in Sarlahi

SARLAHI, June 29: A clash between the cadres of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) at Dhankaul Rural Municipality in Sarlahi left 18 people injured on Sunday.

District Police Officer Mohan Bahadur GC confirmed that 18 people were injured in the clash which took place on Sunday night. Among the injured, 15 are the cadres of NCP and three are the cadres of the NC, according to Sarlahi Police spokesperson and Deputy Superintendent of Police Madan Kunwar.

Two police personnel were also injured in the scuffle. Police were forced to fire four rounds of tear gas shells to take the situation under control. The area around the clash site now is peaceful and police personnel have been mobilised in large numbers to avert any untoward consequences in the aftermath of the brawl. 

NCP local leader Ajay Singh accused the NC cadres of opening a fire targeting the NCP's torch rally taken out at 7:00 pm Sunday at Dhankaul in protest against the murder of a party cadre in Ramnagar Municipality. According to him, NCP cadres were injured and some of them are receiving treatment at Barhathwa while those severely injured were sent to Birgunj for treatment.

On the other hand, the NC has accused the NCP of assaulting its party cadres. NC leader and Provincial Assembly member Birendra Singh said the participants of the rally burnt a tyre in front of the NC leader Dhiru Verma and also physically assaulted him. According to him, six party cadres were injured in the incident.