The violence got here hours after police forcibly broke up the blockade within the southern city of Birgunj on the border with India that has led to crippling gasoline shortages and reduce off entry to different very important provides within the landlocked Himalayan nation. But even if the shooting was an accident, there is still a case to be made for excessive use of force by Nepal Police, given that Ram as well as the other protesters on the scene were presumably unarmed, even if the agitationists were pelting stones. “In order to control the situation, police have fired over 100 shells of tear gas”, he said. Twelve trucks carrying petrol from China entered Nepal through Rasuwagadhi trading point Monday, which is not enough for the fuel needs of the country.
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For over two months now, the Madhesi protestors have been opposing Nepal’s new Constitution. They see it as flawed and discriminatory to their interests.
More than 20 people including 15 police officers were injured in the clash, he said.
On Sunday, a panel formed by the government had assured the Madhesi Front that federal boundaries would be redrawn to ensure proportional representation of Madhesi in all state organs. “We have received 73.5 metric tons of petrol from China in two days”, NOC spokesperson Deepak Baral said.
New Delhi has denied the claims and has urged dialogue with protesters, who belong to the Madhesi ethnic minority and have close cultural, linguistic and family ties to Indians living across the border.
However, Mr. Mandal’s comments showed that the police action in Birganj has broken the façade of consensus which allowed Prime Minister Oli to draw last moment support from several Madhesi parties during the October 11 prime ministerial election that pitted him against Sushil Koirala of the Nepali Congress.
Raxaul customs superintendent Arun Kumar Rajat said that the trucks stranded on Indian side will be sent to Nepal since the border was cleared since this morning. Nepal may tide over current problems over supplies by signing a fuel supply agreement with China, but relations with China are no substitute for normal ties with India which are all-embracing. As tensions with India mounted, China reopened its border with Nepal in Tibet. Many have been forced to make the journey on foot during the transport blockade.
“We encourage all Nepalese to continue to engage in the democratic process through peaceful, non-violent means, and we call on Nepali security forces to exercise appropriate restraint as people express their democratic rights”, the official said.
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Work on the constitution began in 2008 after the Maoist rebels laid down their arms and entered politics, winning parliamentary elections and abolishing a 240-year-old monarchy.
