The violent incident in Tikapur of Kailali district has led to the cancellation of protest programmes announced by Collective Campaign, which has been putting pressure on the government to provide equal rights to women regarding citizenship issuance.

Irked by the discriminatory provisions regarding citizenship in the Constitution Bill, the Campaign, a network of organisations working in the field of women rights, had announced a week-long relay hunger strike and protest rallies.

“Taking in view of the violent incident in the western part of the country we decided to postpone our programmes for the time being. We are afraid of possible infiltration of hostile elements in our peaceful protest,” said Renu Rajbhandari, president of Women’s Rehabilitation Centre. She said their protest programmes will resume once the situation has calmed down.

The Campaign also issued a press release condemning the Bill for not paying heed to their suggestions to change the clause which makes it mandatory for a child to prove the nationality of the father to obtain Nepali citizenship by descent.

The Bill tabled by Constitution Drafting Committee Chairman Krishna Prasad Sitaula at the Constituent Assembly on Sunday carries the same discriminatory clause which only allows children of a Nepali female married to a Nepali male to obtain citizenship by descent, the Campaign members said.