Kathmandu, December 21

Women’s organisations close to various political parties today gave ultimatum to the government to take action against miscreants of the United Democratic Madhesi Front, who mistreated President Bidhya Devi Bhandari in Janakpur last week.

The organisations have urged the government to take stern action against those involved in mistreating the president during her visit to Janaki Temple.

Organising a press conference here today, the Joint Women’s Association Struggle Committee- a committee of women’s organisations from various political parties such as CPN-UML, Nepali Congress, UCPN-Maoist and others have announced protest programmes in two phases.

In the first phase, the delegation from the committee today drew the attention of the Speaker, prime minister and home minister and also sent circulars to all lawmakers to raise their voice against the mistreatment in Parliament.

The committee will be organising protest rallies in all districts and also submitting memorandum through the chief district officers in the second phase.

The committee has stated that cleansing the temple with Ganga jal saying it was polluted by the presence of a widow and vandalising the temple during the president’s visit are acts of violence against women and has tainted the image of Nepal in the international field.

Expressing anguish over the incident, Dila Sangraula, president of Nepali Congress aligned Nepal Women’s Association warned the government stating, “The miscreants should be arrested and punished within a week, otherwise the committee will launch a nationwide agitation and will be forced to take some severe steps.”

Sangraula has also requested the public to raise voice against the misbehaviour of UDMF cadres against President Bhandari.

Similarly, Women for Human Rights, Single Women Group also condemned the mistreatment against President Bhandari.

Issuing a statement here today, it said that Nepal Constitution had ended all kinds of discrimination and given equal respect to all religions and cultures.

The CEDAW convention has also ended discrimination against women on the basis of marriage, but the attack on President Bhandari for being a widow was an attack on the widows’ social, cultural and religious rights.

WHR also demanded action against the miscreants involved in this act.