Rajbiraj, December 31

CPN-UML Senior leader and former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal today said Madhes-centric forces were against his party due to its rising popularity in the plains.

Addressing party cadres at a function in Saptari today, Nepal said, “Be it farmers’ agitation in the Panchayat era or any great gathering of the parties, they started from the Tarai region.

Hence, there is a deep and inseparable bond between the CPN-UML and Madhes. In such situation, how can our party be anti-Madhes?” he asked, adding that his party was committed to the wollbeing of the Madhesi community.

Claiming that the UML had raised voices for the betterment of Madhesi and other ethnic communities in the past, he urged his party activists not to run after baseless propaganda spread by Madhes-centric forces.

“The rising popularity of the CPN-UML has become a matter of headache to other parties,including the Madhes-centric forces. Hence, there is no point in agitating against us. The agitating forces should instead work for the welfare of the public,” said leader Nepal.

He claimed that his party had doubled the allowance to elderly people besides introducing programme for single women and physically challenged.

The former prime minister also claimed that agreement for construction of the postal road and squatters’ resettlement were also the contributions made by his party.

He held that his party would not compromise on issues that were anti-national.