Protesters continued their agitation against the constitution amendment bill on Saturday, enforcing shutdown in various districts of Province 5. They are protesting against splitting Hill districts of Lumbini and Rapti zones from Province 5 as proposed in the bill.

In Rupandehi, normal life was greatly affected as transportation came to a halt while market places remained closed due to the banda. The joint struggle committee staged demonstrations in various places in Butwal, the flashpoint of protests against amendment bill, since early morning on Saturday. Bhairahawa, Manigram, Devdaha, Murgiya bazaar, among other major trade centres, also remained closed.

The transportation along the East-West Highway, Siddhartha Highway, Postal Highway and other feeder roads was disrupted. The banda enforcers did not

let even the rickshaws ply

the road.

The indefinite protest continued on the 18th day in Tamghas, the district headquarters of Gulmi. A violent clash that erupted on Friday in Tamghas between the protesters and police left 12 people injured, including lawmaker Kamala Bishwakarma.

The protesters staged a peaceful protest on Saturday after the local administration admitted using excessive force. Chief District Officer Krishna Prasad Dhungana offered his apology during an all-party meeting to defuse the situation. The general strike has also affected normal life in Pyuthan district, with market places, industries remaining shut. CPN (Maoist Centre) co-coordinator Krishna Adhikari said that local leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties joined forces in the protest saying that they will “stand against the conspiracy that would disintegrate the nation”. The agitation would continue till the bill is revoked from Parliament, said Adhikari.

In Argakhanchi, the three-day general strike called by the joint struggle committee continued for the second day on Saturday. Transportation service and market places remained closed in the district headquarters Sandikharka.

Demonstrators have resorted to singing and dancing on the roads during the protest to draw government’s attention in the district.

The protests against the amendment bill also affected life in Banke, Bardiya, Dang and Rolpa. The CPN-UML activists vandalised a shop and some motorcycles in Nepalgunj for defying banda.

(With inputs from our local correspondents)