Phidim,UML ko bhatra sangathan ko neta laai kutpit. PHIDIM: CPN-UML-aligned All Nepal National Free Student Union central member Dinesh Shrestha and a few other office bearers were thrashed by his own party men in Panchthar yesterday. In the run up to the 21st national general convention of ANNFSU, due to begin in Kathmandu from Thursday, UML sister wing Youth Association Nepal central member Nara Bahadur Gurung and his team reached the party office in Phidim yesterday and beat up the union’s office bearers. Friction in the union had ignited after students loyal to party Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal declared a district working committee chaired by Anita Rai during its district conference one-and-a-half-year ago. Later, terming the committee formation a unilateral decision of the Khanal coterie, students supporting party leader KP Sharma Oli formed a parallel committee. After parallel committees were formed, the party leadership was given the responsibility of deciding which was the legitimate committee. Recently, a meeting at the party office had picked most general convention representatives from the Khanal-led panel. This had led YAN cadres from the disgruntled side to attack union officials. While ANNFSU central member Dinesh Shrestha said inebriated people had staged the attack at the behest of the party’s acting chairperson Raj Kumar Bhandari, the latter, denied the charge. “How could I trigger a clash between them when I am like the guardian of the party’s sister wings,” said Bhandari. Following the incident, police had escorted the victims to district police office. They were later released after party leaders, including Bhandari, assured that the matter would be settled internally. The victims have sought action against YAN cadres involved in the attack, while the dissenting students have accused Shrestha of selecting convention representatives unilaterally.