Several Madhesi leaders have arrived in Kathmandu after the three major political parties - the CPN-UML, UCPN Maoist and Nepali Congress - decided to halt constitution-drafting for two days. Earlier, an alliance of the leaders had rejected the parties' offers for talks.
After an informal meeting with political leaders in Kathmandu, Upendra Yadav, chairman of Federalist Socialist Forum Nepal, has now gone to Bhojpur. Mahantha Thakur of Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party and Mahendra Raya Yadav of Tarai-Madhes Sadhbhawana Party have arrived here.
Earlier, Madhesi leaders said they would sit for talks only if the government withdrew the army from Tarai, provided medical treatment for protesters and committed itself to implementing past deals signed with the Madhesi parties.
However, neither Rajendra Mahato of Sadbhawana Party nor representatives of the Tharuwan-Tharuhat Joint Struggle Committee have arrived in Kathmandu.
On Friday, police opened fire at protesters in Janakpur and Jaleshwor, killing six people and injuring 17. In Jaleshwor, protesters dragged out an injured APF policeman, Thaman Bahadur BK, from an ambulance which was rushing him to a local hospital. His body was found in a field 500 metres away from the point where the ambulance was attacked and torched.