HoR instructs gov't to make public probe report on Madhes movement

Published On: March 13, 2019 02:05 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, March 13: Speaker of the House of Representatives Krishna Bahadur Mahara has instructed the government to make public a report produced by a high-level commission led by former justice Girish Chandra Lal, which was formed to investigate the atrocities committed during the Madhes movement in 2015.

The speaker's direction to the government comes after the disgruntled Rashtriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) obstructed the parliament session on Wednesday afternoon demanding the government to release the report submitted by a high-level commission led by former justice Girish Chandra Lal to investigate the atrocities committed during the Madhes movement.

The parliament meeting has sojourned after the instruction of the speaker, which was earlier postponed for half an hour following the protest of the RJPN lawmakers. As soon as the meeting began, the RJP lawmakers protested the government while standing at their seats. Then after, Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara allowed RJP leader Raj Kishor Yadav to deliver his remarks.

Taking a strong exception, RJP leader Yadav demanded the government to immediately release the probe report. As demanded by the Madhes-based parties, the commission had handed over the investigation report to then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in December 2017. However, the government has not made public the report yet which has clearly stated that 66 people including ten police personnel were killed during the Madhes movement.

Violent protests had erupted in the run-up to the constitution drafting as the Madhes-based fringe parties vehemently opposed the plans of major political parties to issue the constitution through fast-track process in the Constituent Assembly.

The probe commission was established as per the three-point deal reached between the Nepali Congress, the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the then Federal Alliance of the disgruntled Madhesi parties.

The report has incorporated altogether 3,264 complaints registered at the commission. The investigation commission was comprised of Deputy Attorney General Surya Koirala, Advocate Sujan Lopchan, former AIG of Nepal Police Navaraj Dhakal and Joint-secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs Narayan Prasad Sharma Duwadi.