The Province 2 government has decided to celebrate the Constitution Day despite the decision of the Rastriya Janta Party-Nepal (RJP-N), a key coalition partner of Province 2 government, to observe the day as a black day.

The federal government had issued a circular to all the provincial governments to celebrate the constitution day on Wednesday with much fanfare. The SSF-N is also |the ruling partner of the federal executive led by KP Sharma Oli.

The province 2 government— a coalition of Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal (SSF-N) and the RJP-N— has planned a tree plantation programme to mark the day.

“We have only decided a tree plantation programme so far,” said Province 2 Chief Secretary Rajendra Man Singh. “Discussions are underway to decide other programmes.”

The Province 2 government is preparing to mark the day by forming a main organising committee. “We are yet to form the organising committee,” said Chief Secretary Singh. “The committee will finalise the programmes for the constitution day.”

Singh also argued that the constitution day should be observed as the provincial government was formed according to the provision of the constitution.

However, in the past two years, both the Madhes-based political parties had marked the anniversary of the charter promulgation as a black day. The constitution endorsed by the Constituent Assembly on September 19, 2015, was promulgated amid protests from the Madhesi community.

The presidium meeting of the RJP-N held from September 10 to 13 in Kathmandu decided to stage protests in Madhes on the Constitution Day, where two provincial ministers will be deputed to address the protest rallies in various places. The meeting had decided to organise protests to express its reservations over some provisions in the statute that it believes are against the Madhes and Madhesi community. The RJP-N senior leaders are also scheduled to address the protest rally in various Tarai districts.

The SSF-N, however, has remained silent on the issue.