KATHMANDU: The United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) has concluded that the government was not serious for talks, despite the latter’s repeated calls.

The UDMF, which has been carrying out protests in districts of Tarai for over a month, held a meeting at the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) Chairman Mahantha Thakur’s residence to review the protest programmes and concluded that the government just orchestrated a drama in the name of talks.

“Though the meeting formally did not make any decision,” TMDP General Secretary Sarvendra Nath Shukla, who had attended the meeting, told THT Online, “We viewed that the government suppressed our protest programmes.”

The UDMF will hold a next meeting on Thursday morning and announce protest programmes for the next phase, Shukla added.

Top leaders of UDMF constituents, including Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav and senior leader Ashok Rai, TMDP’s Thakur and Shukla, Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato and General Secretary Manish Kumar Suman, among others, were present at the meeting.

The alliance of Madhes-centric parties has been staging protests in Tarai districts against some provisions of the draft constitution including demarcation of federal units.

They have aslo pulled out of the constitution writing process at the Constituent Assembly, which has reached the final stage.