Federal Alliance agitation has no essence: Sherdhan Rai

Nepal's Information and Communications Minister Sherdhan Rai on Wednesday said that the Kathmandu-centric agitation launched by the Federal Alliance has no essence and meaning.

Rai claimed that the Alliance would return to the negotiation table soon, while speaking at a programme organised at the Reporters' Club here.

Asserting that Prime Minister K.P Sharma Oli -led government had sent a letter to the Alliance inviting it for the talks, Rai said that that the government would not bow down to the agitation launched by the protesting parties.

"This Constitution was not promulgated with anyone's mercy. Agitators are trying to push the country towards the path of civil war. They are trying to foil the process to implement the Constitution," the Himalayan Times quoted him as saying.

Highlighting that the demand of the Alliance to rewrite the Constitution was dangerous, he said that the demand would not be addressed at any cost.

"The government will not let their wish come true," he added.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day Federal Alliance, the alliance of 30 parties including constituents of the United Democratic Madhesi Front, has decided to protest for 10 more days in Kathmandu.

The Alliance has decided to launch phase-wise protest programmes from May 19 to 28 at 10 different places in the capital.

The protest would be held at New Baneshwor, Chabahil, Ason, Basantapur, Balaju and Kalanki among other places in Kathmandu, at Mangalbazaar in Lalitpur and Nyatapol in Bhaktapur.

Protests would be held in Birgunj on May 29 and in Pokhara on May 30.

The Alliance had resorted to fresh protest with an aim to exert pressure on the government to address their long standing demands which include provisions for proportional representation and rewriting of the constitution.