'MPRF to pull out of govt if ordinance is withdrawn'

KATHMANDU, March 12: Co-chair of ruling Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF), Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta, on Thursday warned of pulling out of the government and taking to the streets if the government withdraws recently promulgated ordinance for making public services inclusive. [break]



Speaking at a function in Biratnagar, Gupta who is also Agriculture and Cooperative minister in the government said, “A conspiracy is going on to withdraw the ordinance in the pretext of Tharu movement.”



Gupta termed the movement a ploy to create division among the people in Madhes and blamed Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekata Party of hatching the conspiracy.



“I urge the agitating Tharu community to review their demands of withdrawing the ordinance,” he said.



Gupta was referring to Tharu community’s demands for withdrawing the ordinance that guaranteed reservation to Madhesis, women, dalits and janajatis in all the government services. Tharu activists say they are not Madhesis but they were forcefully enlisted under "Madhesi" category.



Tharus are demanding that the term “Madhes” mentioned in the constitution be replaced with “Tarai” to represent demographic diversity of the region, but Gupta’s party is in favor of “entire Madhes as a single province”.

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