Nepali Congress parliamentarians representing the Tarai appealed to the agitating Madhes-based parties on Tuesday not to obstruct their district and local party conventions.

The appeal from 21 NC lawmakers comes at a time when the largest party faces problems in free movement and organising mass meetings in the plains where protests have raged for months against some provisions of the new constitution.

NC leaders are tackling barriers to interact with their local cadres while the party’s local conventions begin on January 29. The party has said the first amendment to the constitution should be taken positively as it addresses some of the major demands of the protesting parties.

The party assured that it would take a leading role to resolve other outstanding issues such as demarcation, citizenship, representation in upper House and language.

Earlier in the day, NC leaders from the Tarai held consultations with leaders of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha about creating a favourable environment for holding its conventions. SLMM leaders are said to have taken the NC’s request positively. Leaders of the Tarai parties have said they will change their form of protests from next week.

District chapters of the Morcha have decided to disturb the programmes of three major parties. There 

have also been clashes in some parts of the Tarai between cadres of the major parties and the SLMM.