KATHMANDU, April 15: The Rastriya Janamukti Party (RJP) has withdrawn a three-day banda program following its talks with the government at the peace ministry on Sunday afternoon.
Banda enforcers agreed to withdraw all its protest programs after reaching a six-point deal with the government talks team headed by Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Satya Pahadi in Singha Durbar.[break]
Earlier, the shutdown had little effect on normal life in the capital, with private and public vehicles playing on the road and businesses running almost as normal.
Academic institutions, however, remained affected in the Valley due to the three-day strike, beginning today, to press for ethnicity-based federalism. Unlike in the capital, the strike has affected day-to-day life in other parts of the country. [break]
Transportation, academic and industrial institutions and marketplaces remained shut in major towns across the country, including Baglung, Dhangadi, Bharatpur and Hetauda, since early this morning.
Extra security measures were employed in the capital and other parts of country to prevent any untoward incidents during today´s banda. Several banda enforcers were detained from various places across the country.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, during today´s cabinet meeting, had warned Malwar Singh Thapa, a sitting minister from RJP, against going ahead with the strike. The PM maintained that a party which has representation in the government should not get involved in activities such as strike which hinders government functioning.
Earlier, KP Palungwa, RJP vice-chairman, had said there would be no backtracking on the banda program and further challenged the government to take action against RJP minister Thapa, our Taplejung correspondent Khagendra Adhikary reported.
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