Kathmandu – At least five people, including a former minister, were injured when cadres of Madhes-based political parties clashed with police in Lahan bazaar of Siraha district on Monday.
Former Minister Raj Lal Yadav and Tarai Madhesh Loktantrik Party (TMLP) district-level leader Rakesh Jha are among the injured.
The clash took place when police tried to stop cadres of Madhesi political parties from forcibly shutting down local shops, factories and educational institutions in Lahan bazaar.
Madhesi political parties have called for a strike across the Tarai region on Monday to exert pressure on the ruling NC and the UML to agree on their demand of 'One Madhes'.
While Madhesi parties want Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Kailali and Kanchanpur districts to be part of Madhes province, the NC and the UML are opposed to this idea.
On 7 January, a meeting of four major political parties had ended abruptly after the UML Chair KP Oli bluntly asked Madhesi leaders to include Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as well in their Madhes province.
After Oli's remark, Madhesi leaders walked out of the meeting room, saying that it was an insult to the people of Madhes.
Since then, Madhesi leaders have not sat in for any meeting attended by Oli. Madhesi leaders have sought an apology from Oli. On the other hand, Oli has refused to apologise, saying Madhesi leaders should instead say sorry to him.
The strike in the Tarai region was called by Madhesi leaders after their disagreement with the NC and the UML over whether to include the five disputed districts in Madhes province.
On the other hand, the UCPN (Maoist)-led 30-party alliance, of which Madhesi parties are members, has also called strikes in other parts of the country. However, local people have defied their strikes in Jhapa and Dadeldhura districts.