Two leaders of Nepal’s main agitating Madhesi parties have been arrested as sporadic incidents of torching of vehicles and clashes were reported on Sunday.
After a brief lull, violence returned to the country due to protests over blockade of a key trade point with India mainly by Indian-origin Madhesis against division of their homeland in the new Constitution.
Satya Narayan Yadav, advisor of the agitation struggle committee and Roshan Yadav, district member of the agitating Terai Madhes Democratic Party were arrested from Siraha district in southern Nepal on charges of forcing the market to shut down.
The shutdown enforced by the Joint Democratic Madhesi Front continues to affect life in Siraha and other districts in southern Nepal.
The agitators torched a motorcycle in Lahan of Siraha district this morning for defying the strike.
However, the police said that they have sent around 100 motorcycles to their destinations under the escort of security personnel.
Local media reports said the agitators also vandalised a motorcycle at Sano Pipara on Sunday.
Four security personnel were also injured in a clash that took place between police and agitators at Pipara chowk last night, a report quoted Superintendent of Police at the Armed Police Force, Bhim Bahadur Thapa, as saying.
Police opened three rounds of fire in the air and 10 rounds of teargas shells to bring the agitators under control after they started pelting stones at police, it added.
Southern plains of landlocked Nepal has been simmering with tension since the new Constitution was formally adopted on September 20.
Madhesi parties — who claim to represent the interests of the Indian-origin inhabitants of Nepal’s Terai region — and Tharu ethnic groups have been agitating against the charter which they see it as flawed and discriminatory to their interests.
Over 40 people have died in the agitations, that has also overwhelmed India—Nepal ties, as transit of goods and fuel to the Himalayan nation via the major trading points of Birgunj and Biratnagar have been squeezed.
