Madhesi leaders’ rally cancelled after locals protest in Nepal

For the first time, a scheduled public rally of top Madhesi leaders agitating over the new Constitution was on Friday cancelled in Nepal after hundreds of locals set the stage on fire, leading to tension in the area.

Madhesi leaders of the Joint Democratic Madhesi Front (JDMF) had to cancel their programme to address the meeting in southeastern Itahari district after hundreds of locals belonging to various political parties vandalised the venue.

This is for the first time during the over two-month-long agitation in southern plains that top Madhesi leaders had to cancel their programme due to local disturbance.

Tension ran high throughout the day after youths set the stage on fire.

Chairman of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal (FCF-N), Upendra Yadav, Chairman of Terai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP), Mahanta Thakur, were among the leaders scheduled to address the rally.

The FCF-N in a statement accused the government of conspiring to disrupt their public meeting. Our attention was seriously drawn towards the obstruction of the proposed rally in Itahari that was premeditated by the ruling CPN-UML by use of its cadres and students, said Yadav.