Irfan Sesh of Banke and Abdul Khan of Bardiya district have started a hunger strike demanding the withdrawal of the cases filed against them by Banke police. The two had been arrested on the charge of aiding Madhesi activist C.K. Raut who has been demanding separate Madhes and is accused of seditious activities. Sesh and Khan have been staging a hunger strike for 4 days. Reportedly they were arrested for preparing a program in Nepalgunj in which C.K Raut was slated as a speaker.

Meanwhile, Coordinator of Terai Human Rights Defenders Network Sub-Regional Office in Mid-west Alam Khan has also claimed that the detainees were discriminated by the police and local administration because of their Muslim and Madhesi background. He also claimed that police arrested them on false accusations. Issuing a press release on Monday THRD alliance has demanded their immediate release.