Six provincial ministers of Province 2, who assumed office after taking the oath of office and secrecy as per the constitution of the country, attended protest rallies organised to mark Constitution Day as ‘black day’ on Wednesday.

The ministers representing the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) took part in protest programmes held in several districts of Tarai. The Madhes-based party deployed Minister of Physical Infrastructure Jitendra Sonal in Saptari; Minister of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Ramnaresh Raya in Siraha; Social Development Minister Nawal Kishor Sah in Dhanusha; State Minister of Physical Infrastructure Dimpal Jha in Mahottari; State Minister of Social Development Abhiram Sharma in Sarlahi and State Minister of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Suresh Mandal in Rautahat.

Minister Nawal Kishor Sah, escorted by the Armed Police Force, participated in the rally organised by his party in Janakpur, where he termed the Constitution Day as a ‘black day’ for Madhes and Madhesi people.

The RJP-N, which formed a coalition government in Province 2 with the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal (SSF-N), is a supporter of the KP Sharma Oli-led federal government. The party decided to organise protest programmes in Tarai to express their displeasure over some of the provisions of the constitution which they deem as discriminatory. The SSF-N leaders, however, neither took part in Constitution Day nor in the protest programmme organised to mark the day as ‘black day’. But the SSF-N activists expressed their support of the protest programmes through social media. In Saptari, the RJP-N placed black flags at various government and local level offices on Wednesday to mark Constitution Day as ‘black day’. RJP-N took out protest rally at Rajbiraj and other places in the district.

Raut’s separate protest rally

Supporters of CK Raut (a free Madhes campaigner) organised a separate protest programme in Janakpur on Wednesday to mark Constitution Day as ‘black day’. Raut addressed the protest meet organised at Ramananda Chowk, where he accused the RJP-N and SSF-N of ignoring the Madhesi issues and joining the central government.

Plantation to mark Constitution Day

JANAKPUR: The provincial executive observed Constitution Day by planting trees on the premises of Janakpur Cigarette Factory on Wednesday. Province 2 Chief Secretary Rajendra Man Singh, secretaries, provincial chiefs of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, Chief District Officer of Dhanusha and district chiefs of various security agencies were present in the function. Chief Minister and other ministers, however, did not attend the function.

Govt discriminating Madhes: Thakur

BARA: RJP-N Coordinator Mahantha Thakur, in a protest assembly organised in Kalaiya of Bara on Wednesday, accused the government of continuing to discriminate the marginalised groups. The party terms September 19, the day of constitution promulgation, as a black day. “The government has been discriminating against Madhesi people, Indigenous people, Muslims and other groups when it comes to their language, culture, identity and citizenship,” Thakur said, adding, “Some people of specific communities with their racist mindset have issued the constitution to suit their interest in ruling the country. We will continue to struggle until the constitution is amended.” He was of the opinion that the amendment of the constitution is essential as the government has been discriminating certain groups of people on the basis of colour.