RPP registers amendment proposal demanding Hindu state

KATHMANDU: The ruling Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) on Sunday registered a Constitution amendment bill at the Parliament demanding that the provision on secularism be removed and the Hindu state be established.

Six RPP lawmakers--Kunti Kumari Shahi, Jayanta Chand, Bikram Bahadur Thapa, Sushil Kumar Shrestha, Bhashkar Bhadra and Bhakta Bahadur BK Khapangi--have jointly registered the proposal.

They have sought to amend the Article 4.1 of the Constitution, which defines Nepal as a nation, to replace the "secular" with "a Sanatan Hindu nation with full religious freedom."

The lawmakers have justified that it would be appropriate to mention so in the Constitution because more than 94 per cent of the population belong to the 'Omkar' family including 81 per cent Hindus, nine per cent Buddhists and three per cent Kirants; and people of various religions and communities have been living here with religious tolerance.

The party led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Kamal Thapa on Saturday had decided to register the amendment proposal after the Election Commission deleted the section advocating Hinduism and monarchy from its charter claiming it contradicted with the Constitution.

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