CHITWAN, April 2: Banda enforced by Rastriya Janamorcha in protest of federalism has adversely affected life in Chitwan.
Vehicular movement has been completely brought to standstill due to shutdown. Janamorcha has called shutdown to pile pressure on the government to promulgate constitution on time, scrap federalism and hold local level elections at the earliest. [break]
The shutdown enforced as per the central program has thrown life out of gear in Bharatpur, Narayangarh, Ratnanagar, Parsa, Bhandara including other parts of Chitwan.
Janamorcha activists have been obstructing road staging demonstrations in Pulchowk, Bharatpur, Ratnanagar municipality and other thoroughfares.
Educational institutions and business establishment are completely closed down. Vehicles coming from west have been parked in Gaindakot.
Earlier, Janamorcha cadres had staged torch rally on Sunday evening ahead of shutdown.
Meanwhile, police have arrested 14 cadres of the Janamorcha from Kohalpur, Banke district for disrupting the traffic along the East-West Highway as per the party´s protest programme of Bheri-Karnali banda (shutdown).
The police, who were escorting the vehicles along the highway, and the banda enforcers, had clashed while the former was attempted to open the highway for the vehicles.
Central member of Janamorcha Tulasiram Sapkota, central member of the party´s Women´s Association Balkumari Acharya, Parbati Karki and local leaders Gunanidhi Acharya, Keshav Sapkota, and others are among the arrested.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Ramesh Kumar Basnet, at the Area Police Office, Kohalpur, police arrested the activists who were trying to obstruct the night buses while the police were escorting the vehicles.
The Rastriya Janamorcha has been organizing various protest programmes across the country demanding to scrap the decision for the federalism.
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