Rajbiraj/Rautahat, Sept 19

Federal Alliance and United Democratic Madhesi Front today held demonstrations in various districts in the plains to protest Constitution Day.

Identifying the nation’s charter as against the concerns of the Madhes and the Madhesis, the agitating Madhes-based parties took to various protest programmes including rallies and protest meetings.

In Saptari, the official programme scheduled to mark Constitution Day by the state side was cancelled today given the protest of Madhes-based parties. The decision to not hold the programme was taken in view of possible clashes with protesting parties.

To protest the day, a demonstration was staged in Rajbiraj with the initiative of the Federal Press Forum Saptari. Scores of pressmen sporting black bands around their arms participated in the demonstration. Similarly, Free Madhesi Front also held a separate protest programme here.

A torch rally organised by the front from the premises of the local Shivamandir temple took a round of the town before concluding in a protest meeting at Sahid Dashanchowk.

While the Federal Alliance and UDMF demonstrated with black flags in Gaur, Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and Tharu Kalyankarisabha Rautahat also led protest rallies.

Meanwhile, two persons were injured when police charged batons on a rally led by Sadvawana Party Assistant General Secretary Ajaya Gupta when the rally tried to disrupt a procession planned by the government side here in the morning to mark Constitution Day.

Demonstrations were also staged in Parsa and Nawalparasi against the constitution. Madhes-based parties organised various programmes from the morning in order to protest Constitution Day in Birgunj today.

Here, demonstrators sporting black bands on their arms torched copies of the constitution. A black-out was also observed here from 7:00 to 8:00pm, in a show of protest against Constitution Day.

In Nawalparasi, leaders and cadres of the agitating parties held demonstrations and burnt tyres to protest the constitution.