Big parties plotting against Madhes‚ says Yadav

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

BIRGUNJ: Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum Nepal chairman Upendra Yadav today accused the four major political forces — UCPN-Maoist, NC, CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front — of conspiring to deprive the Madhesi people of rights guaranteed by the Interim constitution.

Addressing a mass gathering organised by his party in Ghantaghar, Birgunj, Yadav alleged, “The Maoists, NC, UML and UDMF are hatching conspiracy to abort autonomous Madhes pradesh enshrined in article 138 of the Interim Constitution. He charged that the parties had floated the concept of north-south federal set-up to divide Madhes and rule over it.

On a different note, Yadav said the UDMF had become a puppet of the three major political parties. Expressing doubt that the new statute would be promulgated within the set deadline, Yadav said a constitution without autonomous Madhes province would not be acceptable to his party. He said his party would burn the constitution without guarantee of autonomous Madhes province.

Yadav remarked that NC and UML had abandoned democratic socialism and communist socialism respectively and embraced late king Mahendra’s policy.

Noting that the incumbent government had been formed under article 38(2) of the Interim Constitution, Yadav said the Baburam Bhattarai-led government could not be a unity government. “The consent of all parties representing the CA is required to form national consensus government as per article 38(1) of the Interim constitution,” Yadav added.

Broader Madhesi Front forms talks team

Kathmandu: The newly formed Broader Madhesi Front Madhesi, an alliance of Madhesi lawmakers today formed a talks team headed by Upendra Yadav to hold dialogue with other stakeholders, particularly ethnic CA members, to forge alliance on issues of federalism and other issues of the constitution.

MJF-D CA member Sharat Singh Bhandari, Dalit Janajati Party CA member Biswendra Paswan and independent lawmaker Sadrul Miya Haq are also in the talks team. Paswan said they would discuss with other stakeholders to forge common stance on issues of constitution and create pressure to promulgate a new constitution within the set deadline of May 27.