Kathmandu, May 18
A few leaders of the ruling CPN-Maoist Centre have demanded that the government hold a referendum to choose between establishing Nepal as a Hindu state and a secular one.
Ram Kumar Sharma, a central leader of the party, on Tuesday, submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also the chairman of the party, asking him to consider the proposal.
Dahal, however, did not respond to the proposal positively, Sharma says.
“He was positive about other points of the memorandum, yet he said time was not appropriate enough to talk about the Hindu state.”
“But I said it is better to make a final decision whenever pro-change forces are stronger. Otherwise, pro-Hindu forces such as the RPP will get more popular and stronger,” Sharma informs Onlinekhabar.
Nonetheless, Sharma says he will continue raising this issue within the party.
The constitution‘s article 275 has a provision for a referendum. “In case a decision is made by a two-thirds majority of the total number of the then members of the Federal Parliament that it is necessary to hold a referendum with respect to any matter of national importance, a decision on that matter may be taken by way of referendum.”
