Eleven persons, including a former ward chairperson, got injured in a clash on the Gadhimai temple premises in Bara’s Mahagadhimai Municipality today. The clash erupted over a dispute related to a worship venue for the upcoming Chhath festival on the banks of a pond near the temple. Former VDC chair of the then Bariyarpur VDC Jhagaru Mahatto and Gadhimai Temple Operation and Development Committee secretary Motilal Kushwaha, among others, got injured in the clash. DSP Ranjitsingh Rathaur said critically injured Kushwaha had been sent to the Birgunj-based Narayani Sub-regional Hospital for treatment. “As for the other injured, after the treatment at the District Hospital in Kalaiya, they were released following an agreement at the District Police Office that they would not clash again over the same issue,” said DSP Rathaur. Every year, the locals of Chhaupati tole and Mathawa tole would make separate venues for worship during Chhath festival. Today, the clash broke out between the residents of the two villages while they were holding a discussion to resolve the dispute after the locals of Chhaupati tole tried to make a Chhathighat at the site where Mathawa tole locals were planning to make one for them. “Clash broke out after the locals of Chhaupati tole tried to make Chhathighat at the site where the locals of Mathawa tole used to make earlier,” said local Shyam Sah. According to DSP Rathaur, police teams from the Bariyarpur Police Post and Armed Police Force base camp Bariyarpur took the incident under control. “As security has been stepped up following the incident, the situation is under control now,” he said. नजिकिँदै गरेको छठ पर्वका लागि छठघाट बनाउने बिषयमा विवाद हुँदा यहाँको महागढीमाई नगरपालिकामा स्थानीयबीच झडप भएको छ । महागढीमाई नगरपालिका–१ स्थित गढीमाई मन्दिर उत्तरतर्फको सार्वजनिक जग्गामा छठघाट बनाउने बिषयमा कुरा नमिल्दा मथुवा र कचहरिया टोलबासी झडप भएको हो । झडपमा मथुवा टोलका आठ र कचहरीया टोलका तीनजना घाइते भएका छन् । घाइतेमध्ये मथुवा टोलका मोतीलाल कुशवाहा, राजन कुशवाहा र मुकेश कुशवाहाको अवस्था गम्भीर छ । झडपमा घाइते भएका मोतीलाल गढीमाई मन्दिर सञ्चालन तथा विकास समितिका सचिव हुन् । छठ पूजाका लागि दुवै टोलका स्थानीयले एकै जग्गामा छठघाट बनाउने तयारी गरेपछि विवाद सुरु भएको थियो । उक्त जग्गामा आफूले छठघाट बनाउन पाउनुपर्ने दुवै टोलले दाबी गर्न थालेपछि छलफल डाकिएको थियो । गढीमाई मन्दिर सञ्चालन तथा विकास समितिको सचिव कुशवाहाको पहलमा भइरहेको छलफलमै दुवै पक्षबीच झडप भएको हो । झडप भएपछि बरियारपुरमा रहेको प्रहरी चौकी र सशस्त्र बेस क्याम्पका प्रहरीले स्थिति नियन्त्रणमा लिने प्रयास गरेका थिए । दुवै पक्ष आक्रामक हुँदै एकअर्कामा जाई लागेपछि जिल्ला प्रहरी कार्यालयबाटसमेत टोली घटनास्थल पुगेको थियो । जिल्ला प्रहरी कार्यालय बाराका प्रवक्ता डीएसपी रञ्जीतसिंह राठौरले जग्गाको बिषयलाई लिएर स्थानीयबीच विवाद हुँदा भएको झडपलाई केही समयमै नियन्त्रणमा लिएको बताए । उनले झडपमा सामान्य घाइतेको कलैयामा उपचार गराइएको र गम्भीर घाइतेलाई थप उपचारका लागि वीरगन्ज पठाएको जानकारी दिए ।