Nepal

Government to resolve Madhes agitation at any cost, assures Home Minister

Government to resolve Madhes agitation at any cost, assures Home Minister

By Dinesh Kumar Shrestha

Minister for Home Affairs, Shakti Bahadur Basnet speaks during the Facilitation Program organised in Jajarkot on Friday, November 20, 2015. Photo: Dinesh Kumar Shrestha

JAJARKOT: Minister for Home Affairs, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, said that the protracted Madhes agitation would be resolved though dialogues. If the talks fail to yield fruits, the legal procedures would be sought to end the current Madhes stir, he said. He even accused the Madhesi leaders for being greedy of power and position, rather than establishing the rights of Madhesi people through the protests. He said the current situation would not last long as the situation would be resolved by the government within few days. Speaking at a felicitation programme in Jajarkot, Basnet said the government was sincere towards the issues raised by the agitators regarding the delineation of constituencies and demarcation of federal states. However, the Madhesi leaders have not been sincere towards the issues raised by them, he accused. He further said that the current agitation was against the promulgation of new Constitution in Nepal, rather than for the rights of Madhesi people. Speaking with the journalist after the programme, Minister Basnet said the government was aware of the rampant black marketing and he assured that the government was ready to use all its resources to book the black marketeers. Basnet had inaugurated the office of newly established Radio Jajarkot FM and appealed to media to play their roles in instutionalising and promoting democracy in the country. He further praised the media for being the voice of the voiceless people from the nooks and corners of the Himalayan nation. Likewise, Nepali Congress leader Bed Raj Singh, speaking in the same programme, expressed his dissatisfaction regarding the delay in construction of the Bheri bridge for 10 years.