Kathmandu, December 6

India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today called for broad-based ownership of the constitution of Nepal and encouraged speedy political solution and return to normalcy on that basis.

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• India ‘reaffirms support for inclusive Nepal’ to Madhesi leaders

Spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup tweeted after United Democratic Madhes Front leaders Upendra Yadav, Mahantha Thakur, Rajendra Mahato and Mahendra Ray Yadav met Swaraj over dinner in New Delhi today: EAM @SushmaSwaraj meets Madhesi Morcha leaders in New Delhi. Reaffirms support for an inclusive Nepal.

Earlier, the Madhesi leaders had met senior leader of Indian National Congress Karan Singh, Chairperson of Janata Dal (United) Sharad Yadav, General Secretary of Nationalist Congress Party DP Tripathi and General Secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Sitaram Yechuri.

Mahato told The Himalayan Times over phone from the Indian capital that the UDMF leaders discussed the current political deadlock in the country with Indian leaders.

He said he told the Indian leaders, particularly the leaders of parties in the opposition, that India was wrongly blamed for the blockade of border entry points which had been obstructed by the UDMF to press the major parties to address their demands.

He said he told the Indian leaders that Madhesis were fighting for their rightful share and their protests would continue till the Madhesis got their rights.

According to a Facebook post, Madhesi leaders told JD (U) Chairperson Sharad Yadav that they expected both the ruling and opposition parties of India to have the same voice as far as Madhesi issues were concerned.

The Sadbhawana Party also wrote on its Facebook wall that Yadav wondered why the Indian government was maintaining silence over such a discriminatory constitution. He also said the Indian government should strongly react against ‘discriminatory constitution of Nepal.’

NCP General Secretary DP Tripathi said the Madhesi leaders mainly raised their concerns about delimitation of election constituencies, proportional inclusion, provincial boundaries and citizenship issues and he told them that all the issues should be resolved through negotiations.

Tripathi said he told the Madhesi leaders that a negotiated settlement should be found as soon as possible. “We want the current problems facing Nepal to end as soon as possible and there be unity among all the stakeholders of Nepal.

We want Nepal to march ahead on the path of progress,” he said and added that negotiated settlement would ensure peace and stability in Nepal.

According to a UDMF source, Yechuri told Madhesi leaders that the new constitution had discriminated against Madhesis and since the agitation had also affected India, the unrest in Madhes was no longer Nepal’s internal matter.