UCPN-M politburo member Ram Chandra Jha has threatened Annapurna Post daily Janakpur reporter Manika Jha, 25. Manika said that the Maoist leader on September 30 threatened over telephone to stop her from attending his program. She added that Ram Chandra Jha expressed his anger at her report on manhandling of Dr Baburam Bhattarai on September 29 accusing her of filing the news and the photo on somebody’s instigation. Manika said that she had reported whatever she witnessed. UCPN-M leader denied threatening the journalist adding he had only asked her not to resort to yellow journalism and unsuitable news. He claimed that he was not a person to stop any journalist from attending a program. The irate Madhesis had torched the stage used by Dr Bhattarai to address the assembly and to express solidarity to Madhes agitation. The situation became tense when the UCPN-M leaders including Jha, Prabhu Sah and Ram Kumar Sharma tried to stop them.

Binod Kumar Rabidas