MAHENDRANAGAR, DHANUSHA: Youth here have protested against some leaders of the Madhes-based political parties using Hindi in their statements in the historic first session of the Province Assembly of Province 2 that convened on Sunday.

They burned the effigies of the Province Assembly members belonging to the Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal who spoke in Hindi while delivering their statement in the Province Assembly meeting, at a protest staged at local Janaki Chok on Tuesday evening. The youth were displeased with the provincial legislators using Hindi instead of their mother tongue.

The protest was led by Roshan Yadav and presided over by Bittu Panjiyar, president of the Youth for Change Campaign. The youth on the occasion shouted slogans calling on the province legislators to use their mother tongue while respecting the international language.

The situation turned tense in course of the demonstration after police tried to intervene in it.

"Priority should be given to the various mother languages like Maithili, Bhojpuri, Bajjika, Tharu etc., widely spoken in the province, rather than Hindi. The mother languages should be recognised as the official languages of the province," said Karna, the coordinator of the campaign.

Controversy over use of language was also seen before this during the administration of oath to the members of the Province Assembly. Out of the 107 Province Assembly members of Province 2, 47 had taken oath in Maithili, 25 in Bhojpuri, 24 in Nepali and 11 in Hindi. Those taking oath in Hindi all belonged to the RJP-N.