Nepal marks Constitution Day amidst protests by Madhesis

Nepal today observed its Constitution Day amidst a countrywide protest by a key Madhesi party, which boycotted the celebrations and organised a 15-minute black out claiming that the statute has failed to address the rights of their community as well as that of the Dalits and indigenous groups.

Nepal's Constitution was promulgated on this day in 2015.

Addressing a function to mark the occasion at the Nepal Army Pavilion here, Prime Minister KP Oli expressed hope that the Constitution will help consolidate democracy in Nepal and transform it into a prosperous nation.

The Constitution imbibes the present and the future aims and aspirations of the people and it will help in fulfilling the goal of a prosperous and happy Nepal, he said.

Meanwhile, terming the day as a "black day", the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) boycotted the celebrations, organised by the government, across the country to express their reservations to the Constitution. It also organised a 15-minute black out across the country in protest.

In an interaction with media persons here, Ranjit Kumar Singh, the president of RJP-N's youth wing Rastriya Yuva Sangthan, said the party members are ready to make any sacrifice to amend the Constitution to incorporate their demands.

RJP-N secretary Upendra Mahato said the party had extended support to the Oli government with a view to amend the Constitution and it will withdraw its support any time if the government fails to address their demands.

The major demands of the RJP-N include amendment in the citizenship certificate distribution provision, providing more rights to the provincial governments and re-demarcation of the provincial boundary among others. The Madhesi party claims to represent the interests of inhabitants of the southern Terai region who are mostly of Indian origin.

The Madhesi-based parties had launched a six-month long protest in the past to press for the Constitution amendment to address their demands in which nearly 60 people were killed.