Kathmandu, Jan 21 (IANS) At least three people died and five were injured in Mornag district of Nepal on Thursday after anti-government protesters clashed with police.
Nepal’s southern plain which is called Terai is the centre of unrest since the last five months where at least 56 people and policemen have been killed in anti-constitution protests launched by the Samuktya Loktantrik Madeshi Morcha.
Tension flared up in the southern town of Biratnagar bordering India, after cadres of the Morcha attempted to disturb a programme organised by the ruling CPN-UML’s (Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) youth wing with the Youth Association of Nepal (YAN).
Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli who is also the chairman of the UML, was supposed to address the programme but cancelled it later, sensing the mood of the protesters.
Local authorities imposed a curfew in Rangeli area after the violent clash during which Morcha members set fire to a police station in Dainiya in Rangeli bazaar.
The Rangeli area was tense since Wednesday afternoon after YAN declared it will hold a public rally and invited the prime minister to address the gathering in an attempt to reach out to the Madeshi constituency to defuse the months long tension.
Toyam Rai, chief district officer of the area, confirmed to the media that two people were killed at the clash site while a third succumbed in hospital. Police fired shots in the air and lobbed teargas canisters to disperse the crowd and control the situation.
Matters turned violent after Morcha cadres vandalized the houses of two UML members in Rangeli on Wednesday evening.