Curfew reimposed after fresh tension in southern Nepal district, several hurt

PTI, KATHMANDU, NOV 20: Fresh tension erupted on Thursday as 10 people were injured after Gen Z youths clashed with members of the ousted prime minister K P Sharma Oli's party, prompting authorities to reimpose a curfew to contain the situation in Nepal's Bara district, bordering India.

Tension escalated in Simara Chowk in Bara district as youths returned to the streets a day after clashing with cadres of Oli's Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), accusing the police of failing to arrest individuals named in their complaint over Wednesday's clashes, The Kathmandu Post reported. Protesters gathered at Simara Chowk from 11 am. The local administration in Bara had imposed a curfew from 1 pm to 8 pm (local time) to prevent possible loss of life and property.

"However, the prohibitory order failed to take effect, with demonstrators pouring into the streets and clashing with police. Authorities fired six tear gas canisters and two rounds of aerial fire after protesters defied the curfew and continued advancing," news portal Khabarhub said.

"Protesters also pelted stones at security forces, injuring six police personnel, while four Gen Z protesters were also reported injured," it added. In a separate incident, the Gen Z demonstrators set fire to the police beat in Simara Bazaar, the news portal said, adding, "Items from the UML office were also removed and torched by protesters, accusing police of hesitating to arrest UML cadres involved in earlier clashes."

The clashes in the district had first erupted on Wednesday, when the news of CPN-UML general secretary Shankar Pokharel and party youth leader Mahesh Basnet's departure from Kathmandu to Simara for addressing an anti-government rally spread among Gen Z members. Gen Z protesters gathered at the airport to oppose their arrival, triggering the clash with local CPN-UML cadres. Authorities subsequently imposed the curfew around the airport area to bring the situation under control. The UML leaders had then cancelled the rally.