Kathmandu, May 10
Madheshi and Tharu lawmakers boycotted discussions underway in the Parliament on the KP Oli government’s policies and programmes for the fiscal 2073-74 on Tuesday.
The lawmakers, who have been protesting against the constitution promulgated through a popularly-elected Constituent Assembly, boycotted Tuesday’s meeting, claiming that the policies and programmes have not recognised the existence of Tharu, Muslim, Madheshi and Adivasi-Janajati communities.
They stood in protest after chief whip of the ruling CPN-UML, Bhanubhakta Dhakal, presented the policies and programmes for discussions. Acknowledging the protest, Speaker Onsari Gharti gave Gopal Dahit, lawmaker from the Tharuhat Tarai Party, time to speak.
On his part, lawmaker Dahit pointed that the government’s policies and programmes have failed to recognise Tharu, Madheshi, Muslim communities and indigenous nationalities.
He said: The policies and programmes have offered nothing for flood victims of Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali, Kanchanpur and other Tarai-Madhesh districts. Flood-affected districts also have incurred huge losses like earthquake-affected districts. Why didn’t the government bring programmes for the flood-hit districts also, while bringing projects for quake-hit districts?
He said the policies and programmes have only irked them. Dahit lambasted the government for bringing policies and programmes that are not implementable. He accused the government of not playing any role to bring the disgruntled forces into the mainstream. After Dahit’s speech, lawmakers from Tharu and Madhesh-centric parties walked out of the House.
