Locals took out a rally in Dadeldhura headquarters Baghkhor after the government sent a chopper to take Dr Govinda KC to Kathmandu today.

Dr KC has been staging his 17th fast-unto-death for the past eight days putting forward a seven-point demand.

Dr KC had started the hunger strike at the home of an individual. After his health deteriorated, he was admitted to Dadeldhura District Hospital on the sixth day. He has been staging the strike from the hospital.

Locals staged a protest rally after the government sent a Nepali Army chopper to take Dr KC to the capital without addressing his demands. The chopper that came from Surkhet at 10:00am was kept at Dadeldhura’s Ranadal Gan. An all-party meeting held at Dadeldhura DAO today morning decided to send Dr KC to Kathmandu for treatment. But, the chopper returned empty after Dr KC refused to go.

Local youths had burned tyres and staged the protest from Dadeldhura Hospital to Tufandanda, saying that the government was planning to forcefully take Dr KC to the capital. Vehicles heading for Baitadi, Bajhang and Darchula from the Tarai and the capital were stranded for three hours. The road obstruction was cleared after an all-party meeting agreed not to forcefully take Dr KC to Kathmandu without his approval.

Civil Society Dadeldhura today warned of an agitation from tomorrow expressing solidarity with Dr KC. Society Chairman Ramesh Joshi warned the street would be obstructed and all government offices shut down if Dr KC’s demands were not addressed soon.

Issuing a statement today, Doctors’ Society of Nepal urged the government to prepare an environment for talks with Dr KC and to do the needful for Dr KC’s treatment at Dadeldhura hospital. “The government should seek solution rather than use force at a time when Dr KC’s vital signs were fluctuating,” read the statement.

A version of this article appears in print on November 12, 2019 of The Himalayan Times.