RAUTAHAT, July 16

Madhes-based parties on Thursday torched copies of the draft constitution  at a programme organised to collect feedback from people in Rautahat.

No sooner had the programme started in Rautahat district headquarters Gaur with the initiative of the Constituent Assembly Feedback Collection Sub-committee than irate leaders and cadres of dissenting Madhesi parties resorted to vandalism, by tearing the programme banner and copies of the draft constitution before setting them afire.

The discussion programme was organised in the meeting hall of Gaur municipality.

When the programme just started, Sadbhavana Party Central member Yogendra Yadav snatched the mike from the organisers and protested the statute draft, saying the ‘document’ had failed to address the concerns of the Madhes and Madhesi people.

Incited by Yadav’s action, Madhesi leaders and cadres of other parties went on a rampage in front of Nepali Congress Constituent Assembly member Jitendra Yadav, former CA member Krishna Yadav, Chief District Officer Madan Bhujel and others.

Sadbhavana Party district chairperson Shekh Jamshed expressed his party’s dissatisfaction with citizenship provisions and the fact that issue of  delineation and naming of federal states had not been addressed.

Leaders and cadres of Sadbhavana Party, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, Federal Socialist Forum Nepal, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Nepal, Nepal Sadbhavana Party, among others, were involved in on Thursday’s incident that disrupted the programme.

Meanwhile, CA member Yadav of Rautahat constituency No-5 condemned the incident, saying that differences should be put forth in an amicable way.