Madhesi News

Madhesi parties in Nepal are divided over participating in the second phase of local body polls, with one faction insisting on taking part in the process to foil the reactionary forces' conspiracy against federalism while other announcing fresh protests to disrupt elections.

The elections -- the first at local level in 20 years and a key step in Nepal`s drawn-out peace process that ended a civil war in 2006 -- have been beset by delays.

Offering a ray of hope towards ending the protracted Madhesi agitation against the year-old Nepali Constitution, the Madhesi Morcha on Wednesday consented to the tabling of a statute-amending proposal mooted by the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) - Nepali Congress alliance.

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal plans to split Province 5 of the country which currently has 13 districts to woo Madhes-based parties.

The government deployed heavy security, including personnel in riot gear, to tackle the protests and announced restrictions on assemblies around Singha Durbar ahead of the demonstration.

Criticizing Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's for failing to understand the cause of Madhesi's agitation, leaders associated with the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) termed the former's offer of talks an eyewash.

Prime Minister KP Oli will be visiting India during a period when relations between the two countries are at "their worst for a long time", said a Nepal daily.

Nepal's parliament has voted to amend the country's new constitution after its promulgation four months ago, on Saturday night.

The Nepal government on Tuesday tabled a bill in parliament to create a "Nepal Reconstruction Authority".

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday met top leaders of Nepal's restive Madhesi community.

The Nepal Parliament were adjourned on Tuesday for five days after Madhesi lawmakers repeatedly obstructed proceedings over disagreement with the Revised Bill of the new Constitution.

 The Communist Government of Nepal is divided on the issue of deployment of army in the Terai region that is disturbed due to the ongoing Madhesi protests against the newly adopted Constitution.

The Ministry of Home Affairs of Nepal has asked the forces to take all possible action against the Madhesi agitators. 

Nepal on Thursday demanded an early probe into the alleged shooting of four of its unarmed civilians by India's Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel, seeking strong action against those involved in the incident and restrain from such actions in future.

 Nepal's ambassador to India Deep Kumar Upadhyay has said his country's economy was sinking and there was need for immediate steps for restoring supplies from India, which have been disrupted due to agitation by Madhesi parties over the new constitution.

Some 200 trucks were stranded on the India-Nepal border after the Madhesi community of Nepal blocked the road to protest.

Several people were injured on Saturday when supporters of Madhesi parties turned violent and attacked buses and other vehicles being escorted by security forces in southern Nepal near the Indian border where they have been agitating for over a month against the new Constitution.