Senior leader of main opposition CPN-UML, Jhala Nath Khanal has challenged the government to get the constitution amendment bill endorsed. He claimed that the people won’t support the proposal and the government won’t be able to garner a two-thirds majority required to endorse it. 

 “The amendment proposal registered at the parliament by the ruling parties by ostracizing the UML is anti-national and unconstitutional,” said leader Khanal, addressing a gathering of party cadres in Birendranagar of Province no 6. 

Khanal, who was also a former prime minister, made it clear that his party would never be ready to support the bill as its content are objectionable apart from the proposal to split province 5. 

He went to on to say that the proposal to split the province 5 is driven by the ill motive to gradually separate Tarai from hill and ultimately declare a separate state.

“The residents of Tarai don’t want to detach from Hill. Only a handful of leaders from Madhesi parties are trying to impose the entire Tarai as one province,” said Khanal. “It is high time that the people kept strict vigilance.” He noted that the current government backed down on position to grant top constitutional posts to naturalized citizens after widespread protests. 

The UML leader alleged that Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and his party CPN (Maoist Center) were bent on instigating conflict between the people of Tarai and hill, who had been living together peacefully for centuries. 

CPN-UML province coordinator Yubaraj Gyawali, General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel, politburo member Prakash Jwala, and Yamlal Kandel, among others, were present during the gathering. The training will continue till Saturday.