Transport movement was suddenly brought to a complete standstill in the district from 8 am. Vehicles resumed operation only after Tarun Dal Secretary Prem Pathak announced a corner meeting at Pulchowk, Narayangarh, at 2 pm. [break]
Before the shutdown was called off, enforcers had already vandalized government offices and a bank in Ratnanagar, Chitwan, apart from a medicine shop in Narayangarh. The banda enforcers vandalized Sakar Polyclinic and Durga Ayurvedic Shop near Narayangarh Buspark at 11 am, despite the fact that medicine shops were allowed to operate in the district during past shutdowns.
The locals retaliated after the medicine shops were vandalized. Police said three people were injured in the clash between locals and banda enforcers.
NC youths also vandalized Bharatpur Municipality office. They also padlocked Ratnanagar Municipality office and left carrying the keys. Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) office and a branch of Nepal Bank in Ratnanagar were also vandalized.
NC Chitwan Secretary Devendra Gurung said the party had not enforced any kind of shutdown, and said some enraged youths had enforced the half-day shutdown.
Six parties against martyrdom demand
Meanwhile, six political parties active in Chitwan have decried the demand of the Nepali Congress to declare Poudel -- who died Saturday of injuries sustained during an attack while in judicial custody -- a martyr and to withdraw the murder case against him.
A joint meeting of UCPN (Maoist), CPN (UML), CPN-ML, Rastriya Janamorcha, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), and RPP-Nepal, protested the demand.
“Only those who die during political movements can be declared martyrs. Declaring everyone a martyr is an insult to true martyrs,” said UML´s Chitwan President Krishna Khanal, briefing about the decision of the six parties.
The parties have also said that only courts can take decision on murder cases.
Poudel, who had been in judicial custody for alleged involvement in the murder of CPN(UML)-affiliated Youth Association of Nepal cadre Sanjay Lama, was injured along with four other inmates in the early morning attack in the prison on December 6 by a “rival gang”.
Poudel was brought to Kathmandu on Wednesday for further treatment after his condition failed to improve at Bharatpur Medical College.
Meanwhile, our Lahan correspondent Mithilesh Yadav reported that Tarun Dal Siraha and Nepal Students Union Siraha enforced transport shutdown along the Lahan section of the East-West Highway on Sunday to protest Poudel´s death. In Saptari, all educational institutions were shut down.
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