Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachhadar today termed as "unfortunate" the recent visit by leaders of United Democratic Madhesi Front to Delhi and Bihar to seek help for their ongoing agitation in the southern Terai plains.
"It was unfortunate for the Madhesi leaders to visit Bihar and Delhi to seek help from Indian leaders for the ongoing agitation," said Gachhadar, senior Madhesi leader and president of Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum-Democratic.
He asked the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) leaders to seek resolution to the issues related to provincial boundaries through the amendment of Constitution.
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Gachhadar accused the UDMF leaders of provoking people and making them suffer in the name of Madhesi agitation.
He was speaking at a cadres' meet in Biratnagar, an eastern Nepal town today.
"Constitution has already been amended as per the demands of UDMF and there was no need of continuing blockade and general strike in the southern Nepal for the demarcation of provinces," Deputy Prime Minister Gachhadar said.
Claiming that Nepal's Constitution was one of the best in the world, Gachhadar said that it has ensured rights to Madhesi, Aadivasi, Janajati, Tharu, Dalit and women.
Meanwhile, more than a dozen cadres of the Madhesi Front were arrested from Saptari district, as they were trying to disrupt the municipality level meeting of main opposition Nepali Congress, as part of their preparation for the 13th general convention, slated for next month.
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.
