Birgunj, January 12:

“The constituent assembly would not ensure the rights of the Madhesi people because Article 64 of the Interim Constitution 2006 is faulty,” Tarai Madhes Democratic Party president Mahanta Thakur said today.

Speaking at a party programe here yesterday, Thakur said the Madhesi people would not get fair representation if the CA polls were held under the existing constitution. He said the Madhesi people would be able to retain only 32 per cent representatives in the constituent assembly and this was enough to keep them away from constituent assembly polls.

“If the government does not address our demands, we will launch an all-Tarai decisive agitation from January 19, “ said Thakur.

His party has given the government a deadline of January 18 for acceding to the 11-point charter of demands, including granting Madhes the right to self-determination.

Thakur also called for amendment to Article 64 of the interim statute and urged the government to create a conducive atmosphere for the CA polls by addressing the issues raised by the Madhesis.

He accused the political leaders of making hollow nationalist statements and added they were taking the country towards disintegration.

He warned that the people of the Tarai region would declare their right to self-determination if the state failed to do so.

Stating that the government was not serious towards holding dialogue with the armed groups of the Tarai region, Thakur said the parties in government were prolonging the political uncertainty in the country just to protect their own position.

Speaking on the occasion, former minister Hridayesh Tripathi said the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party was formed to counter propaganda that the Madhes agitation had become rudderless.

Party central members Sarvendra Shukla, Ramchandra Roy Yadav, Govind Chaudhary and Ramchandra Kushwaha said unless every caste, class, community and region was given their due in governance, the creation of a new Nepal would not be possible.