DAILEKH, Jan 23: The situation in Dailekh district headquarters has remained tense Wednesday, with cadres of ruling UCPN (Maoist) and opposition parties, including Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, clashing with each other and resorting to arson and vandalism.
Opposition party cadres set ablaze the office of UCPN (Maoist) and vandalized the office of CPN-Maoist here in the district. Several district level leaders of NC and UML have been injured in clashes with Maoist cadres near the ruling party´s program venue in Kadachaur. [break]
Police fired 10 shots into the air and 36 tear gas canisters to disperse the angry crowd and bring the situation under control. Meanwhile, the district convention of the Maoist party has ended, while the mass meet of opposition parties is under way at Tundikhel.
A meeting of the security committee is in progress. After assessing the situation, the local administration may clamp curfew in the area.
Early in the day, cadres of the ruling UCPN (Maoist) attacked the district administration office (DAO), leaving 24 people including two office staff injured, in the Dailekh district headquarters, on Wednesday.
They also vandalized the office of the local newspaper Hamro Teshro Ankhan, smashing window panes and damaging office properties including computers and furniture. Six of the assailants have been injured in the incident. [break]
Senior party leaders including Vice-Chairman and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai arrived in the district to attend the party´s district convention. Police had to use force to clear protesting journalists off the road while escorting the prime minister to the program venue.
Earlier in the morning, Maoist party-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) cadres arrived here on 22 trucks under police escort. Eye witnesses said the YCL cadres are rallying on the road, shouting slogans and brandishing khukuris and pistols.
The cadres have threatened protesting journalists that they would have to meet the fate of slain scribe Dekendra Thapa if they don´t stop their protest. Also some media persons, including a Mountain TV journalist, have so far been injured in two incidents of clashes between Maoists and supporters of opposition parties.
Both the ruling Maoist party and opposition parties are organizing mass meets in the district headquarters today. Over 500 police personnel have been deployed to avert any untoward incident.
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