Nawalparasi/Pyuthan, December 5

Demonstrations sparked by the proposed split in Province 5 through a constitution amendment bill tabled in the Parliament recently continued in various districts of western Nepal on the sixth day today.

In Rupandehi, demonstrators took to the streets from early morning in places such as Butwal and Lumbini, chanting slogans against the government.

In Butwal, a rally that started from Chauraha took a round of the bazaar before concluding in a corner meeting at Traffic Chowk, where leaders pledged to continue the agitation until the government withdrew the proposal.

Earlier, after Nepali Congress Rupandehi issued a statement on Sunday in support of the amendment and backed away from the agitation, the leaders of CPN-UML, Rastriya Janamorcha, CPN-ML, Akhanda Nepal Party, among others, participated in the agitation.

In Palpa, a demonstration and protest programme was held in district headquarters Tansen, demanding that the districts of hills and Tarai of Province 5 not be separated from each other. Organised by a joint struggle committee, various political parties except the CPN-MC, along with civil society leaders, social organisations, traders, entrepreneurs and commoners participated in the demonstration.

Identifying the agitation as being in favour of the country and the people here, the political parties participated in the agitation with national flags.

In Gulmi, a rally participated by local leaders and cadres of all political parties took a round of the bazaar and concluded in a corner meeting in district headquarters Tamghas early in the morning. Speaking at the programme, speakers pledged to continue their agitation till the statute amendment proposal was withdrawn.

Elsewhere, in Pyuthan, the agitation that started in support of intact Province 5 continued today as well. As part of the agitation called by a United Struggle Committee Pyuthan, market places remained closed for two hours from 1:00pm.

Speaking at a corner meeting here, speakers condemned the proposal, accusing the government of spoiling for amendment against the popular sentiments of the people. CPN-MC district deputy coordinator Krishna Adhikari called on the demonstrators not to give up on the cause until the end.

In Rolpa, the main market places remained closed in protest at the call of an all party intact Province 5 committee. Ever since the statute amendment bill was tabled in the Parliament, the residents of Rolpa and Pyuthan have been launching an agitation by forming a joint struggle committee.

Today, protest programmes were held at over half-a-dozen bazaars including Holeri, Ghartigaun and Purbi Silichuar. Here, protest programmes and bandhs are happening everyday in separate market places.

Prohibitory area declared in Kapilvastu

NAWALPARASI: In view of the demonstrations sparked by the tabling of the constitution amendment bill by the government, district administration office of Kapilvastu declared an indefinite prohibitory order in district headquarters Taulihawa from Monday morning.

The prohibitory order has recognised a 3km area from Banijya Bank in the east to Gaudi in the west and Agriculture Development Bank in the north to Andolan Chowk in the south.

“As we got a tip-off about a possible confrontation between different groups in favour and against the amendment bill, we had to take the decision overnight by convening a meeting of the District Security Committee on Sunday night itself,” said Acting Chief District Officer Bharat Kumar Budhathoki.

As per the prohibitory order, more than five persons aren’t allowed to assemble at a place or hold a meeting in the restricted area.