Kathmandu: Amid the raging 'Hindi row' in Nepal, the Terai-based Madhesi parties on Monday said they will continue to support the moderate Communist-led government but asked it to amend the Constitution to allow public office holders to take oath in their mother tongue.
The parties also said they were "deeply hurt" by the government's move to cut facilities to Vice President Parmananda Jha -- who had taken oath of office in Hindi – for not re-taking oath in Nepali following a Supreme Court order.
The decision of the Madhesis will come as a relief to the CPN-UML-led 22-party government as it comes after an warning issued by seven dissident lawmakers of Madhesi People's Rights Forum Democratic to withdraw support in protest against taking back all facilities given to Madhesi leader Jha.
Jha had courted controversy last year after he took the oath of office in Hindi. Last week, he defied a Supreme Court deadline to retake oath in Nepali or face disqualification and went on leave after calling the ruling "unconstitutional".
The Madhesi parties that are part of the coalition issued a statement after a joint meeting, expressing their support to the present dispensation but asking the government to immediately pass an amendment to resolve the controversy.
"There is no other option than amending the Constitution to allow public office holders to take oath in their mother tongue to resolve the crisis," Minister for Commerce and Sadbhavana Party president Rajendra Mahato said.
"We ask the lawmakers belonging to all political parties for their support in endorsing the bill for amendment to the Constitution, which is already in consideration in Parliament," Mahato said.
He called the Maoists to allow Parliament session to resume for passing the bill relating to the constitutional amendment.
"The government's decision to withdraw facilities of the Vice President and to remove security guards is objectionable and a kind of dishonour, and we have been deeply hurt by the decision," he said.
The three Madhesi parties -- MPRF-D, Terai Madhes Democratic Party and Sadbhavana Party -- have a combined strength of around 60 MPs in the 601-member Parliament which is crucial for the survival of the coalition government.
Mahato also deplored the Maoists' attack on the newly-appointed Indian priests at the Pashupatinath Temple and asked them not to "play politics in religious affairs".
"The Maoists should not indulge in any act that could affect age-old cultural and religious ties between Nepal and India," he said.
He said the government should do whatever it can to protect the centuries-old culture and tradition and to maintain religious harmony in the country.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, September 07, 2009, 17:51