'Agitation working against Madhesis'

Surkhet, November 16

Former Prime Minister and senior CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal today accused Madhes-centric parties of staging a protracted agitation in the region to fulfil their vested interests.

“This protest is against the sentiments of Madhesi people,” Nepal claimed.

While addressing party cadres at a function in Birendranagar of Surkhet today, Nepal said leaders and activists of United Democratic Madhesi Front were disseminating the illusion of citizenship certificates instead of acknowledging the spirit of the new constitution in the Tarai area.

He claimed, “The new constitution promulgated by the second CA of the country is a model among several countries across the world. Hence, there is no point in misinterpreting it.”

Nepal claimed that the new constitution had incorporated the voices and concerns of people with diverse ethnicity, languages, religions, cultures among others. “I found the ongoing Tarai unrest not of the real people living in the region, but of Madhes-centric parties only during my recent interaction with Tarai people.

The leaders of the front have spread illusions about the constitution in the name of the agitation,” he claimed.

He also clarified that the ruling coalition was positive towards addressing the genuine demands put forth by the agitating forces. He also advised the forces to sit for dialogue and forge consensus instead of giving trouble to people in this hour of crisis.

He was of the opinion that a person who has received naturalised citizenship should be eligible to hold the topmost post of the state.

“We don’t want fragmentation in the name of ethnicity, nor do we want any discrimination based on topography. This is a critical issue. Hence, all of us need to pay serious attention to it,” he said.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the joint statement issued by the United Kingdom and the southern neighbour, he said invading the country’s internal affair was against diplomatic code of conduct. “We are capable of sorting out our internal problems,” he claimed.