The clash started after students close to Nepali Congress (NC)-affiliated Nepal Students Union (NSU) resorted to vandalizing KU premises in protest against the unilateral staying of the Student Welfare Council election that chose a candidate close to NSU as president. Police fired in the air to take the situation under control.[break]
Vice-president of NSU´s KU unit Sanjay Sah has been injured by police while another student, Bhanu Bhakta Bhatta, was arrested. “Police have mercilessly thrashed our vice-president. We condemn the police brutality,” said Kavre President of NSU Madhav Dhakal.
A group of students led by Dhakal came on 37 motorcycles and started vandalizing to trigger a clash. A team of 50 police under Inspector Mahesh Jung Karki was then sent by the Distrcit Police Office to assist a smaller team posted at KU premises under an assistant sub-inspector.
KU has remained closed since March 2, following the disputed election on March 1 in which Krishna Prasad Pokharel, who is close to NSU, and Anup Luitel, close to ANNISU-R, were tied for president with 19 votes each.
The students had agreed on election regulations that require a drawing of lots in case of a tie vote. The students reportedly agreed to a re-election but the management went ahead and picked Pokharel in a draw of lots that took place in the absence of representatives of both candidates.
ANNISU-R then padlocked the university demanding scrapping of the election. The management, which had issued a notice claiming that the election process was fair and valid, later decided to stay the election result and form a committee to hold talks with the agitating group, asking them to end the strike.
ANNISU-R withdrew the strike after the university management agreed to investigate the election process, but NSU in turn padlocked the premises claiming that the administration bowed to ANNISU-R pressure and stayed a fair election that it had itself conducted.
Meanwhile, an all-party meeting mediated by Chief District Officer (CDO) Sudhir Kumar Sah to settle the dispute ended without reaching any decision after the KU administration insisted on staying the election process against the wishes of leaders of the NC and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist.
NC Kavre President Shiva Prasad Humagain and his UML counterpart Gokul Baskota demanded that the administration ratify the elections conducted on March 1 but the management refused to oblige. The meeting was also participated by Maoist Kavre in-charge Dina Nath Gautam and TU Vice-chancellor Suresh Raj Sharma.
Related story
Will Major General Pandey step down amid age dispute?
