Province 2 Chief Minister Lalbabu Raut demanded to immediately sack Education Minister Giri Raj Mani Pokharel and punish those responsible for the leak of SEE question papers. According to The Himalayan Time, Chief Minister Raut said that the entire examination process — from preparation of questions papers to deployment of employees — was being handled by the federal government.

“The federal government should immediately sack Education Minister Giri Raj Mani Pokharel and punish those responsible for the leak,” he said. Raut added that education mafia could have leaked the question papers. “It can also be an attempt to defame Province 2 government,” The Himalayan Times quoted Chief Minister Raut as saying.

After the cancellation of Secondary Education Examination Science paper and of Social Studies following leaked of question papers, infuriated students across eight districts of Province 2 staged demonstrations.

In Birgunj, Rautahat and Janakpur, the students blocked the road. In Janakpur, the headquarters of the province, students picketed the Office of the Chief Minister for some time, while they also held demonstration at Pidari Chowk and Ramananda Chowk and obstructed vehicular movement .

In Parsa’s Birgunj, students also took to vandalism and there were reports of clashes between students and police at different places. Around a dozen students who were injured after police charged batons are said to be undergoing treatment at different hospitals in Birgunj.

According to The Himalayan Times, protests were also held in Saptari and Bara. In Saptari, demonstrations were held at different places of Rajbiraj. While shops in the bazaar area remained shut for some time due to the demonstration, students trying to vandalize Rajbiraj-based District Education Development Coordination Unit also briefly clashed with the police. In Bara, students took to the streets and demonstrated at places such as Kalaiya Kolhabi, Nijgadh, Simraungadh. Students of Jitpursimara Sub-metropolis chanted slogans against the province government and also obstructed vehicular movements along the Birgunj-Pathalaiya road section for an hour in the morning.

Photo Courtesy: Deshsanchar