Mistreatment to President 'intolerable', says government

KATHMANDU: The government said mistreatment to the President Bidya Devi Bhandari would be intolerable.

The government said it would bring those who misbehaved with the President and charged her "uncivilised blames" would be brought to the book.

Issuing a press statement today, acting spokesperson of the government, Minister for Industry, Som Prasad Pandey, said the government condemned protests carried out by cadres of the Madhes-based parties against the President in Janakpurdham on Wednesday.

"The mistreatment to the Right Honourable President is not only mistreatment to a woman, but the whole world of women," the statement read.

Pandey clarified that the Head of the State visited the Temple on the occasion of Vivaha Panchami following decades-old tradition.

Amid protests by the United Democratic Madhesi Front cadres, Bhandari on Wednesday had visited the Temple to observe the Vivaha Panchami Mahotsav.

Following the visit, various media reports had claimed that the UDMF cadres ‘purified’ the Temple premises by sprinkling water from the Ganga River citing the shrine was polluted by the visit of Bhandari, a widow.

UML also condemns act

Meanwhile, the ruling CPN-UML party also condemned the act dubbing it as an 'undignified' and 'shameless' behaviour.

Issuing a press statement today, chief of UML Publicity Department, Yogesh Bhattarai, said the act not only blemished the image of Nepali society, but also harshly disrespected the whole women's community, who have unprecedentedly contributed for the nation's transformation.

The party also urged the UDMF leaders and cadres to publicly apologise for the mistreatment.