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Indian Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has constructed a security post at no man’s land along the Nepal-India border near Biratnagar, Capital of Province 1.

The SSB forcefully constructed the security post at the no man’s land in between Daraiya, Biratnagar Metropolitan City-16 and Tikuliya, Jogbani of India.

Locals said that the Indian SSB built the structure unilaterally without informing the Nepali authorities a month ago.

The international law and regulations prohibits constructing any structure on the border between two countries.

The SSB personnel have started carrying out checks by carrying weapons.

Locals said that they have been monitoring the activities in Nepal in the name of providing security and have started troubling the Nepali citizens.

Local Manoj Khadka said that it is a serious matter that the Nepal government has not taken any action yet even though the Indian SSB constructed the security post in the no man’s land.

Khadka said that the Indian government officials deployed for the border security have been fueling the locals to encroach the no man's land.

“We have been protesting against the construction of structure in no man’s land. The Indian side did not care about the protest.” He said, adding, “The Nepal government has been pretending that it does not know anything.”

People residing near the border said that the SSB personnel have been troubling them a lot.

Manoj Subba, Ward Chairman of Biratnagar-16, said that the SSB has been carrying out its activities taking the advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The government should immediately take an initiative to remove the post from the no man’s land. I think the Indian side is hatching a conspiracy to encroach Nepal's land,” he said.

Chief District Officer of Morang Kashi Raj Dahal said that none of the countries can construct any structure in the no man’s land.

The Patan High Court has issued an interim order directing the Mahalaxmi Development Bank not to hold its general assembly.

The bank had scheduled its 20th general assembly at its central office in Durbarmarg, Kathmandu, for January 20. The court issued the order in response to complaints filed against the bank by its shareholders Giriraj Pokharel and Pramod Shrestha.

The petitioners argued that the management wrongfully denied several shareholders from participating in the electoral process to select new bank leadership.

Similarly, the bank management has been accused of only allowing the shareholders close to them to run for elections. The election committee formed to hold the same elections had canceled the candidacy of some shareholders. 

With the postponement of the general assembly, the court has directed the defendants to furnish a written clarification within 15 days.

Earlier, the general assembly of the bank was put off due to a lack of required numbers. Elections of bank operators were also postponed following the court order. The bank’s repeated attempts to hold its general assembly to elect a new governing board has each time been mired in controversy.

Nepali Congress General Secretary Bishwo Prakash Sharma has suggested Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to relieve Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Renu Yadav of her position.

He said that Minister Yadav should be removed from her post for making the remarks to incite social violence.

Minister Yadav was dragged into controversy after she threatened to Kill Chairman of Janamat Party CK Raut during a programme organized at a public programme in Rautahat on Wednesday.

Sharma also suggested Minister Yadav to resign from her post.

Minister Yadav had warned of carrying out another Gaur massacre by killing CK Raut.

As many 27 cadres of the then CPN-Maoist were murdered at a Gaur-based rice mill on March 21, 2007. Madhesi Janadhikari Forum, the then party of Upendra Yadav, incumbent Chairman of Janata Samajbadi Party had carried out the massacre.

The Nepal government has banned its citizens from traveling to gulf countries on visit visa in the wake of  third wave of Covid-19 pandemic driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

Issuing a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that it has decided to impose the ban as many Nepalis are being left in lurch in various gulf countries owing to the travel restrictions.

The decision will come into effect from January 22 until further notice.

Ruling coalition has agreed to fix the date of local level elections.

A meeting of the high-level political coordination committee held on Friday decided to consult with the legal experts for the same, a leader, who attended the meeting said.

Now, the debate on elections have come to an end.

Earlier, a dispute had ensued in the ruling alliance after CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed for early elections.

Addressing the nation on Friday, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had also committed to hold the three tiers of elections.

The main opposition CPN-UML has also been piling the government to fix the date of local elections.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said that the obstruction seen at the Parliament will end soon.

Addressing the nation on Friday, PM Deuba said that the House deadlock will end soon after holding discussions with all the political parties.

Saying that the government has the responsibility to hold all three levels of elections within one year, the Prime Minister expressed his commitment to hold the local level elections on time.

Amid a growing risk of spread of Omicron variant of coronavirus, he urged all the people to take precautions.

Nepal recorded 10,703 new Covid-19 cases on Friday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 18,618 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 8,815 returned positive. Likewise, 4,474 people underwent antigen tess, of which 1,888 tested positive.

Similarly, three people succumbed to the virus while 766 infected people recovered from the disease.

There are 64,374 active cases across the country as of today. Of them, 63,734 persons are in home isolation while 1,640 are in institutional isolation.

Likewise, 194 people are in the intensive care units and 35 on ventilators.

Civil Society members have demanded that the government remove Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Renu Kumari Yadav at the earliest for publicly threatening to kill CK Raut, Chairman of Janamat Party.

Issuing an appeal on Friday, Dr Kedar Narsingh KC, Charan Prasain, Ganesh Kumar Mandal, Sushil Pyakurel, Taranath Dahal, Indra Aryal, Mahamanishwor Acharya and Kanak Mani Dixit expressed their dissatisfaction over the remarks.

During a programme organized in Rautahat on January 19, Minister Yadav had warned of carrying out Gaur massacre again.

As many 27 cadres of the then CPN-Maoist were murdered at a Gaur-based rice mill on March 21, 2007.

She warned that CK Raut will face the fate like that of Maoist cadres if he keeps on challenging her.

The Civil Society leaders have claimed that Yadav, who tried to promote violence in the society, does not deserve the post of minister.

The activists have also raised questions over the government's inaction despite remarks by the minister with ‘the potential of sparking social unrest’.
 

Citizens’ Appeal: 21 January 2022, Kathmandu

Relieve minister who acknowledges involvement in massacre and threatens targeted killings

We the undersigned strongly object to the statement made by Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Renu Yadav on 19 January at a political event in Gaur of Rautahat District, where she threatened opponents with targeted killing and made incendiary remarks that have the potential of sparking social unrest.

1. The well-known Gaur Massacre of 21 March 2007 was a mass killing conducted by the then Madheshi People’s Rights Forum, where 28 Maoist cadre lost their lives. In her speech of 19 January, Minister Yadav publicly acknowledged her party’s involvement in the massacre even as the perpetrators of that barbaric episode remain outside the purview of law, and impunity rages on in the country.
2. At the same event, publicly available video clips show Minister Yadav threatening a repeat of the Gaur Massacre by encircling and targeting Chandra Kant Raut (CK Raut), Chair of the Janamat Party. We are clear that a person who cannot hold the dignity of a minister’s position, demonstrates criminal mindset, and publicly concedes to acts of murder, is ineligible to retain any position of public responsibility.
3. The fact that a sitting minister can threaten target killings, and also proudly take ownership of a massacre, is the result of the unchecked lack of accountability in the country. Meanwhile, the fact that the Government has failed to show interest or concern three full days after Minister Yadav’s harsh words became public knowledge raises the question whether she was expressing the Government’s own point-of-view and attitude. The first duty of any government is to give citizens a sense of the existence of rule of law, and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba must take the lead in fulfilling this responsibility. Accordingly, we demand that Prime Minister Deuba immediately relieve Minister Yadav of her post and move to start legal proceedings against her.

1. Dr. Kedar Narsingh KC
2. Charan Prasai
3. Ganesh Kumar Mandal
4. Sushil Pyakurel
5. Taranath Dahal
6. Indra Prasad Aryal
7. Mahamunishwar Acharya
8. Kanak Mani Dixit

Contact: 9851053209