At least a dozen protesters and some security personnel were injured as cadres of the agitating Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) clashed with police in Janakpur on Sunday.

The Madhes-based parties demonstrated in Janakpur against Saturday’s incident in Biratnagar in which Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato was seriously injured in police action.

The Morcha activists and security personnel battled at Ram Chowk, Janak Chowk and Shiva Chowk in Janakpur. Police resorted to baton charge and lobbed 10 teargas canisters to disperse the mob.

Schools that had resumed a week ago have been shut again. Morcha leaders said police also arrested some of their cadres. Protesters stopped CPN-Maoist leader Dev Gurung on his way to Janakpur, where he was scheduled to attend an interaction programme. Rallies were held in various parts of Saptari, Sarlahi and Rautahat districts against the attack on Mahato. SLMM activists picketed the Rautahat District Administration Office and barred officials from entering the office.

In Biratnagar, a meeting of the local SLMM committee on Sunday demanded apology from the government for the police brutality during a sit-in at the Rani-Jogbani border point on Saturday.

District Chairman of Tarai Madhes Loktantik Party Mohammad Kadir said the government should take legal action against the security personnel who attacked Mahato during the sit-in on the no-man’s-land. The meeting decided to intensify protests until the government apologises for the incident.

Border reopens

Two diesel tankers, six cooking gas bullets and 132 cargo trucks entered Nepal through the Biratnagar-Jogbani border after the point was reopened on Sunday morning. 

The border was temporarily shut due to a clash between police and the SLMM cadres on Saturday. The Morcha cadres were injured when police tried to disperse the SLMM protesters from a sit-in that obstructed cross-border cargo movement.

(With inputs from our local correspondents)