An alliance of Madhesis and Janajatis yesterday decided to continue its protest against the new Nepali constitution for another 10 days.
The Sanghiya Gathbandhan, or the federal alliance of the Madhesis and Janajatis, decided to hold the protests in the inner parts of the Nepal valley as well, apart from national capital Kathmandu.
The alliance will also protest in Birgunj and Pokhara, two major cities outside
Kathmandu.
A meeting of 29 political parties and ethnic groups, that formed the political alliance, decided on their future course of action at a meeting here.
The alliance supporters had picketed Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s residence in Baluwatar on Tuesday during the first phase of their stir
programme.
A total of 36 rounds of parleys between the protesters and the government have failed since September 2015 when these parties launched their stir against certain provisions of the new constitution.
Their key demands include making more broad-based and inclusive the new constitution, promulgated in September last year, so that the rights of the marginalised communities can be addressed.
They also want demarcation of the seven federal units to be changed in order to make it accommodative as per the demands of Madhesis, Janajatis and other disgruntled factions.
The protesters chanted slogans that they will not accept the seven federal province model at any cost and called for Oli’s resignation.
Top Madhesi leaders Upendra Yadav and Rajendra Mahato are leading two separate protests at key gateways to Singha Durbar.
Madhesi parties, which imposed a blockade at the key Nepal-India entry points for six months in order to press the government to address their demands, have decided to focus their stir in Kathmandu this time in order to make the Oli-led government accede to their demands.