At least 35 persons, including security personnel, were injured in clashes between activists of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) and police at various places of Janakpur in Dhanusha district, on Monday.

The whole Janakpur area remained tense throughout the day as knots of protesters gathered at different parts of Janakpur and staged demonstrations.

Clashes ensued between police and protesters after the latter hurled Molotov cocktails and stones at Janaki Police Post on the premises of the Janaki Temple.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Ramdatta Joshi said at least 14 policemen were injured in the clashes between security personnel and SLMM protesters.

“Five of them are seriously injured,” said SP Joshi, adding that none of the protesters was arrested though.

Police had to charge batons and lob tear gas canisters to take the situation under control. According to Sanjaya Kumar Singh, Dhanusha district chairman of Sadbhawana Party, at least 21 SLMM protesters were injured, some of them seriously.

Schools and marketplaces in Janakpur remained shut the whole day on Monday.

Besides in Dhanusha, SLMM activists continued their protests in Mahottari and Saptari districts as well. Expressing solidarity with the Madhes-based parties, a youth group associated with the Madhesi Morcha staged a drama titled “Madhes Kranti”.

Meanwhile, Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato, who was injured in a clash with police and admitted to Golden Hospital in Biratnagar on Saturday, was shifted to BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan on Monday. According to doctors, Mahato is out of danger.

In Nepalgunj, though the Morcha has continued its protests, the intensity has significantly gone down, largely due to a dispute between two constituents of the SLMM. After Sadbhawana Party leaders accused the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party of failing to bring supporters to the no-man’s-land, the Morcha protest is somewhat fizzling out.

Witnesses said Morcha leaders were engaged in heated discussions after only a handful of protesters gathered at Nepalgunj-Rupaidiha border point.