Shital Niwas a playground of anti-national forces: Dev Gurung
REPUBLICA ONLINE
KATHMANDU, Feb 19: CPN-Maoist Secretary Dev Gurung, addressing a gathering of party cadres at Shanti Batika, Ratnapark, after the conclusion of the party-enforced banda Tuesday evening, criticized the deal reached among the major political parties to make the sitting chief justice the new head of government.
A copy of Monday´s deal reached among the parties to that effect was burnt down at the gathering. Gurung said the deal was struck under the influence of ‘foreign’ forces and described Shital Niwas, the president´s office, where the parties had negotiated before reaching the agreement, as a playground of those acting against national interests.
The Maoist leader also said they will organize a sit-in in Lainchaur on Wednesday before handing over a memorandum to the president expressing their dissent over the latest political agreement to make the incumbent CJ the new executive head for the purpose of conducting elections.
Transportation resumed in the capital, with the CPN-Maoist´s dawn-to-dusk banda, as scheduled, coming to an end at 5 pm, on Tuesday. The banda that started at 6 am crippled normal life almost in all major towns of the country including the capital. Transport services, marketplaces, businesses and educational institutions remained closed throughout the day due to the banda.
This is update on the earlier story:
CPN-Maoist nationwide banda throws normal life out of gear
The nationwide banda enforced by CPN-Maoist in protest of the main political parties’ decision to form a poll government under the leadership of sitting chief justice crippled normal life all across the country, including the Kathmandu Valley, on Tuesday.
The party has called today´s banda also to press for the release of its cadres held on charge of killing Dailekh-based journalist Dekendra Thapa some eight years ago. Transportation has come to a standstill and marketplaces, academic institutions and businesses have all remained closed in the capital.
CPN-Maoist activists have descended on the road and gathered at major junctures in places including Kupondole, New Baneshwor, Satdobato, Kalanki, Gongabu, Chabahil, Koteshwor and Lagankhel to enforce the strike. Office goers as well as general commuters are having a tough time reaching their destinations due to the banda.
Two media vans vandalized Meanwhile, two vehicles each belonging to Kantipur Television and Sagarmatha Television have been vandalized by banda organizers in Kathmandu. They vandalized the Kntipur TV van ( Ba 8 Cha 829) at New Baneshwor and the other one belonging to Sagarmatha Television at Baneshwor this morning. Similarly, they have also vandalized a tourist bus in Lainchaur.
Vandalism outside Valley as well
The banda has hit hard normal life across the Dhaulagiri Zone. According to our Baglung correspondent Dilip Poudel, all public vehicles operating on the short and long routes to and from Parbat, Myagdi and Baglung districts have stayed off the road since early this morning.
In Jhapa, striker enforcers have vandalized seven vehicles—two in Damak, two in Garamai and one in Charali— for defying the banda. According to our Jhapa correspondent Raju Adhikari,among the vandalized vehicles are five buses, a pickup van and a Maruti van.
In Dharan, CPN-Maoist cadres have vandalized four shops. Our correspondent Rohit Koyu said marketplaces, businesses and transportation have remained closed in the city due to the banda. Two wheelers and rikshaws have however been allowed on the road.
In Dhankuta, banda enforcers have vandalized three min-trucks coming from Dharan at 4 am and padlocked four government offices. According to DSP Bishnu Karki, banda enforcers padlocked the district development committee office , district education office, district financial controller’s office and district forest office. Police have arrested three Maoist cadres in connection with the incidents.
In Pokhara, Maoist cadres have smashed a tourism bus and beaten up the driver for defying the strike. According to our Pokhara correspondent Manoj Adhikari, banda enforcers attacked and vandalized a jeep (Ga 1 Ya 402) which was returning to the hotel after dropping tourists at the airport.
In Mahendranagar, Maoist cadres have stormed the agriculture development office and smashed furniture inside. Our correspondent Bikram Giri quoting the district police office said 11 banda enforcers have been held in connection with the vandalism. Marketplaces and transportation have come to a complete halt there due to the strike.
Police personnel and CPN-Maoist cadres clashed on Monday evening at Birtamod injuring at least four persons including a policeman. Police constable Isak Rajbansi, who sustained serious injuries in the clash is receiving treatment at B P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan.
No banda in Dang
Today´s strike however has no effect in Dang district, RSS reported. CPN-Maoist Dang district committee secretary Shital said there would be no strike in the district considering the ongoing Dang Commercial and Tourism Festival and the Mid-West Industrial Agricultural Fair.
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Shital Niwas A Playground Of Anti-national Forces: Dev Gurung
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