Mahato warns of intensified agitation

Kathmandu, March 12

Sadbhawana Party Chair Rajendra Mahato today said the UDMF would resume its agitation that had been put on hold keeping in mind the Holi festival, in a few days.

He warned that the next phase of agitation would be sterner than in the past.

Speaking at a press meet organised by Press Front Saptari in Rajbiraj, Mahato said hundreds of thousands of Madhesi youths were ready to sacrifice their lives in the agitation. He asked the three major parties to take immediate steps to resolve the impending crisis.

Stating that only two days were left for the seven-day ultimatum served to the government by the front to meet the front’s demands, Mahato warned of a whirlwind of agitation if their demands were not addressed within the deadline.

Coming down heavily on the CPN-UML, Mahato charged that the party had engineered the Saptari incident to rub salt on the wounds of Madhesis. “The major culprit behind the Saptari incident is the UML and its Chairman KP Oli”, Mahato charged.

Mahato held that Madhes was UML-free and the UML had tried to ad fuel the fire. He urged the main opposition UML to stop irritating Madhesi people and instead help find a solution to the current crisis facing the country. “Stop anti-Madhes campaign and work to offer rights to Madhesis,” Mahato advised. He warned that

hatred and anger against UML would escalate if the party did not mend its ways and behaviour in relation to the Tarai.

Mahato argued that the major parties and the government had deviated from the major problem facing the nation. “They are not willing to cure the disease, but trying to avoid treatment for the ailment”, Mahato charged.

On the civic poll announced by the government, Mahato ruled out the possibility of holding local level elections without addressing their demands.

Mahato warned that holding the polls without amending the statute would spell disaster in the country.

Meanwhile, Mahato met with the family members of the five persons killed in police firing in Saptari. He distributed Rs 25,000 each to the five families on behalf of his party. He claimed that the sacrifice made during the Tarai agitation would not go to waste.

Mahato pledged he and his party would do everything to educate the children of people killed in Saptari.