CPN-UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai was met with protests during his visit to his home district Taplejung on Friday.
Bhattarai had arrived in Lelep, Phakthanglung Rural Municipality-6, Taplejung, on Friday to attend an event organized to mark the 70th anniversary of the first ascent on Mount Kanchenjunga.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Pandey had also reached Taplejung by helicopter along with Bhattarai.
As Bhattarai was about to return after the event concluded on Friday afternoon when the 'No Cable Car Group' and the 'Identity Advocacy Group' chanted slogans against him.
Minister Pandey had already headed toward the helicopter, while Bhattarai had gone to the toilet of the nearby Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council.
As soon as Bhattarai entered the toilet, protestors from the two groups surrounded the toilet and shouted slogans against him.
Police personnel were deployed immediately to provide security to Bhattarai. While Bhattarai was inside the toilet, police latched it from the outside.
DSP Ravi Rawal, chief of District Police Office, Taplejung, said that they only provide security.
"We only provided securit, nothing more than that," he said.
The number of security personnel was increased after the protest.
Police normalized the situation after some time and brought Bhattarai out of the toilet by unlocking the door. Bhattarai was then escorted to the helicopter and flown to Kathmandu.
"We sent him safely to Kathmandu. After reaching Kathmandu, he called and thanked me too," DSP Rawal said.
Bhattarai has been strongly advocating for the construction of a cable car in Pathibhara of Taplejung as dispute over the issue continues.
Groups protesting against the construction of the cable car in Pathibhara had even announced that they would ban Bhattarai from entering the province.
