People walk to their destination during a general strike called by CPN Maoist on Friday. Pic: Devaki BistaNormal life has been thrown out of gear due to a general strike called by a Maoist party on Friday.
The Netra Bikram Chanda 'Biplav'-led CPN Maoist, a breakaway faction of the UCPN (Maoist), has enforced a nationwide general strike against the India-China Lipulek deal and the draft constitution.
The CPN Maoist has criticised the government's failure to exert diplomatic pressure on India and China to revoke the Lipulek deal. The party says Lipulek is part of Nepal and the India- China bilateral deal to use it as a trade hub is against Nepal's sovereignty.
The CPN Maoist, which boycotted the second Constituent Assembly (CA) elections, has also rejected the draft constitution.
Kathmandu's Old Bus Park wears a deserted look on Friday. Photo: Kumar Shrestha, RSSBiplav's cadre vandalised five vehicles in Kathmandu and one in Lalitpur early Friday morning to enforce their strike. They also set a passenger bus on fire in Dhading district. In Nepalgunj, they set two parked buses ablaze.
In Kathmandu Valley, only a few vehicles were seen plying the streets. People were forced to walk to their destination as public vehicles were off the streets.
Police had rounded up 75 striker enforcers from Kathmandu and Lalitpur. But they were released later. Police SSP Narayan Singh Khadka said they were arrested because they were carrying petrol in bottles and jerry canes.