KATHMANDU, March 21: The local administration has clamped curfew in Dhankuta Bazaar indefinitely beginning at 7pm Saturday after clashes between youths associated with two ruling parties – UCPN-Maoist and CPN-UML – marked the day, leaving two leaders from each side seriously injured.
Student wings of the ruling Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), backed by their youth wings (Young Communist League and Youth Force), made several attempts to attack each other throughout the day.
Former UML lawmaker Gopal Guragain, who was seriously injured in the YCL attack, has been rushed to BP KOirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan for treatment. Guragain, along with another UML leader Dharma Poudel, came under YCL attack when they were en route to the District Administration Office for negotiations, according to Avenues Television.
Hem Chandra Rai, a candidate for the post of president from Maoist student union, ANNISU-R, in the Free Student Union election, is also seriously injured. He is undergoing treatment in the District Hospital, Dhankuta.
CPN-UML told a press conference in the evening that the local administration was to blame for the attack on UML leaders.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had addressed a gathering of Newar communities in Dhankuta Bazaar. The clashes followed departure of the PM from there as YCL cadres first attacked UML-affiliated Youth Force cadres, the Television reported.
Curfew, indefinite strike ongoing in Dhankuta
