Calling a meeting at the party office on Tuesday, Dhakal directed party members to be united for Basnet´s release saying the police had refused to cooperate with them.[break]
In the meeting participated by nine district committee members, Dhakal accused the police of filing false charges against party cadres.
“I have told the SP and DSP that we will now meet on the streets,” Dhakal was quoted by a participant as saying.
A district secretariat committee meeting of the party on June 12 had condemned the June 1 attack on jailbird Abhishek Giri inside the Morang District Court premises and had decided to assist in bringing the guilty to book. However, Dhakal during Tuesday´s meeting took a decision to protect Basnet.
Following the decision, party cadres close to leader KP Sharma Oli shut down Biratnagar and vandalized two vehicles -- a Maruti van with registration number Ko 1 Cha 4530 and a Pajero with Indian number plate B R 11 5601.
Police arrested 22 protestors involved in the vandalism, including YAN district chief Rabin Thapa, and ANNFSU central members Wasim Alam and Santoshi Shrestha.
On Tuesday evening, the UML organized a corner meeting at Janaandolan Chowk and announced a strike in Morang for Wednesday. The party said it would extend its strike to Morang, Koshi and the entire eastern region, and threatened to continue its protests as long as the police do not withdraw “false charges”.
On Tuesday, schools remained closed due to the shutdown. Basnet´s wife Anju Singh Basnet and cadres of YAN and Youth Force forced markets to shut down.
UML district chief Dhakal was also present at the corner meeting but he did not speak. However, YAN district secretary Santosh Bantawa, ANNFSU in-charge Rupesh Khatiwada, the party´s district committee member Binod Basnet and others said there is a need to fight against the “arbitrariness” of Morang´s police chief.
The shutdown was meant to influence police investigations, at a time when the police were preparing to record the statements of 17 people arrested in connection with the attack on Giri at the government attorney´s office.
Police said the CPN-UML leadership has intervened in the police investigations.
“We take action based on wrongdoing, and not on the basis of party affiliation,” said Superintendent of Police Pradyumna Karki. “We´ll leave no stone unturned to punish the guilty, no matter what kind of protest they stage,” he added.
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