Kathmandu, March 24:

Dissident leaders of the seven-party alliance, mainly from the Nepali Congress, today appealed to all political parties, public and the would-be members of the constituent assembly to take initiatives to save the country from political extremism and protect national sovereignty, integrity, freedom and unity.

A press appeal, signed by 20 leaders including Taranath Ranabhat, Bipin Koirala, Shiba Bahadur Khadka, Marshal Julum Shakya, Omkar Shrestha, Dinbandhu Aryal and Harendra Bahadur Shrestha asked the people to save the nation from being divided into many federal states.

“The decision to divide the country into many states would spoil national unity and invite new forms of conflicts in the country,” the statement said.

A handful of leaders from a few political parties are imposing their decision on the people without gathering clear people’s mandate on crucial national issues like constitutional monarchy, republic, unitary state, federal state, Hindu state or secular state, the statement said.

The leaders have urged the public to support the late leader BP Koirala’s ‘middle-path ideology’ and NC leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai’s stance on the ‘middle path’. They however, did not elaborate the path.