At least five persons were injured when police fired rubber bullets to disperse Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) protesters in Parasi, the district headquarters of Nawalparasi, on Saturday.

Nawalparasi police chief Rajendra Chaudhary said security personnel fired five rubber bullets and four rounds of bullets in air. 

The RJP-N, which has opposed the June 28 local elections, has been protesting in the Tarai region,. 

RJP-N leader Mahantha Thakur was addressing an RJP-N programme when police opened fire on protesters when they tried to seize election materials of the CPN-UML kept in the office Mid-Nepal Transportation Committee in Parasi.

Police suddenly opened fire after a minor scuffle, said Puran Chaudhary, district coordinator of the RJP-N. The injured are receiving treatment at the district hospital, added Puran. 

Later in the evening, around a dozen RJP-N activists, including RJP-N central member Haidar Ali, were detained, said police. 

In Banke, police arrested 13 RJP-N district leaders when they were about to take out a baton rally from the party office in Tribhuvan Chowk. 

Security upped in 3 provinces

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) has asked its subordinate units in 37 districts of Province 1, 5 and 7 to heighten security on Sunday when nominations for 15,038 posts will be filed for the second phase of local level elections scheduled for June 28.

Instructions to step up security come in the wake of agitating Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N)’s announcement to enforce generals strikes in the districts. The agitating RJP-N and Janajati forces under the banner of Sanghiya Gathabandhan have rejected the government decision to postpone polls in Province 2 and said they would foil June 28 elections.

“We will ensure that candidates can file nominations smoothly,” said Deepak Kafle, spokesperson for MoHA.

“Police deployment will be increased. Candidates also have been asked to seek additional security if they feel they are under threat,” said DIG Ramesh Bhattarai, chief of Eastern Regional Police Office. “We had maintained high alert in the eight districts of Province 2. Since elections in Province 2 have been postponed, our focus now will be on Hill districts.” (PR)