Kathmandu. Diistrict Administration Office (DAO) Rupandehi has issued a prohibitory order for four days considering the aggressive nature of the ongoing protests against the proposal of Dang as the headquarters of Province No. 5.

DAO Rupandehi issued the order in apprehension of a violent agitation as the protests had started to take a rough turn after the proposal of naming Province No. 5 and selecting its permanent headquarters was tabled at the Provincial Assembly.  There had been incidences of vandalism, tire fires in the streets and protest rallies.

Protests began in Butwal in retaliation to the choice of Bhalubang as the permanent headquarters by the government of Province No. 5. Nepal Communist Party had proposed the  name of Bhalubang, comprising the territory of Rapti VDC, Gadhwa VDC and Sitganga VDC of Arghakhanchi bypassing Butwal, the interim headquarters. In reprisal, there were demonstrations in Butwal with the demonstrators manhandling government vehicles in the street.

According to Rupandehi Police, the agitators vandalized  a Scorpio jeep (Lu 1 Jha 445) with  the chair of Social Development Committee Dirghanarayan Pande in the passenger seat, a vehicle (Lu 1 Jha 421)  belonging to the Planning Department  of Ministry of Agriculture and  another one licensed under Lu 1 Jha 449.

On Saturday, a meeting of chairs and vice chairs of the 16 local bodies had drawn attention of all local bodies of Rupandehi District towards the new proposal regarding the headquarters. They had called for a district shutdown on Sunday, countering which the DAO issued the prohibitory order.