Nepal's rights watchdog today appealed to all sides to maintain restraint and avoid any violent clash over the ongoing protest by Madhesis over the new Constitution that has claimed more than 50 lives.
Expressing its concern over recent activities of the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) in Dhanusha and other districts, the National Human Rights Comission have asked protesting parties and their cadres to respect democratic norms and values during their agitation.
The NHRC have also said the act of Madhesi parties' of obstructing leaders of other parties from carrying out their activities in various districts of southern Nepal is punishable.
The UDMF leaders and cadres in various Terai districts had recently obstructed movement of leaders of Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN-Maoist. They had also vandalised houses of lawmakers in Dhanusha district.
The statement issued by the Commission Spokesperson Mohna Ansari also called both the government and protesters to maintain restraint and avoid any violent clash.
Madhesis, who are inhabitants of the Terai region, are opposed to the new Constitution that divides their ancestral homeland under the seven-province structure and have led an ongoing blockade of key border trade points with India.
The agitating community that shares strong cultural and family bonds with India is demanding demarcation of provinces, fixing of electoral constituencies on the basis of population and proportional representation, and have launched a protest for months that has claimed at least 55 lives.
