Dharan, January 7:

Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel today blamed the Maoists for the ongoing unrest in the Tarai.

Speaking at a gathering of the Nepali Congress party cadres in Dharan, he said: “The Maoists cannot blame others for violence in the Tarai region because they themselves are

still involved in violent activities in the region.”

He denied that the NC was to blame for incidences of violence in the Tarai and claimed that NC brought the Maoists to the mainstream politics.

“NC is leading the government at the present and any government to be formed in

the future will also be led by NC,” he said.

He also said that the government would ensure proper representation of women, indigenous communities and Dalits in all state mechanism.

“The seven parties have agreed on a fully proportional representation electoral system and it will solve the problems faced by the downtrodden communities,” he said.

Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference organised by the Morang chapter of Nepal Press Union in Biratnagar, Poudel said that the government has already fulfilled the demands raised by the agitating forces in Tarai. The demands including equal representation on the basis of citizenship and population, federal state and autonomy have been addressed, he said, adding that the government is in the process of implementing the agreements that were reached with various groups.

“Let’s stop agitations and implement the agreements gradually,” he said, adding: “I urge all agitating forces to hold direct talks with the government.”

Stating that the government has repeatedly urged the armed forces in Tarai to come for

talks, he said: “There is no signal that they are interested

in holding talks to solve the problems. The government, however, is attempting to

hold talks with them.”

The election to constituent assembly will be held at any cost and the armed forces in the Tarai region cannot stop that, he said. He said that the process of withdrawing cases filed against the cadres of the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum and the Chure Bhawar Ekta Samaj has been initiated.