UCPN Maoist band trails out after citizens defy call

KATHMANDU: The UCPN Maoist called bandy in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Gorkha trailed out after general public defied the call.

The party had called the bandh today from 8 to protest the arrest of their party cadre- Ram Prasad Adhikari for the 2004 murder Krishna Prasad Adhikari in Chitwan.

However, traffic started to surge on the capital roads as people started to defy the call considering the Dar-Eating day programs.

Ram was detained by the police on charges of murdering Krishna, a resident of Gorkha, while he was in Chitwan.

However the UCPN Maoist has time and again denied to treat all the conflict era cases as per existing national laws citing the understanding in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Meanwhile, the UCPN-Maoist has demanded that Ram Prasad Adhikari, who was arrested from the Capital yesterday, be immediately released, and no arrest be made over the conflict-era cases.

Issuing a statement on behalf of the party, Maoist Spokesperson said the UCPN-Maoist is serious over the latest arrest.

“At the time an environment for election is being built up, such act has created doubts if the government is trying to disrupt the election,” the statement reads.

Sapkota further warned of launching other protest programmes until Ram Prasad is released and the case agaisnt him is withdrawn.

The party has demanded that the Truth Reconciliation Commission be set up as soon as possible to look into the conflict-era cases.

Sapkota tried to justify today’s bandh saying that the government did not pay a heed to the party’s request not to revive the conflict-era cases and made the arrest yesterday.

The then Maoist rebels had murdered 18-year-old Krishna Prasad Adhikari of Fujel, Gorkha in Ratnanagar of Chitwan in 2004.

The deceased’s parents are on a hunger strike for the past seven weeks demanding action against his son’s murderers.