Kathmandu, August 6:

Party’s role in govt on agenda.

The central committee meeting of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum began here today.

The meeting was called to discuss MJF’s role in the next government and ways to expand party’s organisational base across Madhes. The meeting condemned the attack on MJF’s central office during protests organised by eight student unions against Vice-President Parmananda Jha’s act of taking the oath of office and secrecy in Hindi.

“We did not discuss any major agendas today,” MJF senior leader Bijay Kumar Gachhadar said, adding that they would discuss other major issues tomorrow.

“Today, we basically reviewed reports dispatched from Madhes districts on acts of mistreatment and vandalism against Madhesis during recent protests,” Gachhadar added.

In future meetings, the MJF is likely to discuss strategies that will help the organisation expand its base across Madhes. Today’s meeting wished for quick recovery of party leader Sita Nandan Roy, who has been hospitalised.

According to an MJF source, a group of central members unhappy with the party’s last-hour decision to back NC presidential candidate Dr Ram Baran Yadav wrote a letter to chairperson Upendra Yadav, urging him to call the central committee meeting of the party at the earliest.

The MJF clarified that it was compelled to withdraw its support for the Maoists’ presidential candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh as the Maoists shied away from supporting its vice-presidential candidate. MJF general secretary Ram Shahay Yadav said it was natural to urge the MJF chairperson to call a central committee meeting, adding that there was no rift within the party.