Three opposition parties including the CPN-UML on Sunday obstructed the meeting of the House of Representatives against the authentication of the citizenship bill.

Lawmakers from the main opposition UML, the Rastriya Swatantra Party and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party stood from their seats in protest as the House meeting commenced today to discuss the annual budget.

Lawmakers of the opposition parties said President Ramchandra Paudel didn’t follow due process while authenticating the bill. President Paudel on Wednesday had authenticated the citizenship bill which former President Bidya Devi Bhandari had twice refused to endorse.

Speaking at the meeting, Padam Giri, UML chief whip, said the President breached the constitution by authenticating the bill.

The opposition parties protested against the authentication of the bill saying that the President’s move bypassed the legislature.

The newly enacted act should be rendered inactive and a bill should be freshly registered in the Parliament and endorsed within a week, Giri demanded.

The opposition parties also expressed their serious objections to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s remarks on land swapping to resolve the border dispute with India.

Giri said the party would not allow the Parliament to resume its business until the prime minister answers the questions in the Parliament.

Prime Minister Dahal on Friday had said that Nepal can consider swapping the Kalapani area with India in order to gain land link to Bangladesh through India.

A section of Indian territory known as the ‘chicken’s neck’ or Siliguri corridor borders China, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. Yet it is uncertain whether India will approve of such a land swap arrangement because India's strategic circle regards this strip as extremely sensitive and significant for India for geopolitical reasons.

Rastriya Swatantra Party's chief whip Santosh Pariyar said they object to the process of authentication while clarifying that the party believes that obtaining a citizenship certificate is the right of every Nepali citizen.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden said the government should clarify why the citizenship bill was certified just hours before Prime Minister Dahal left for India.

He said the party not only objects to the bill certification but also to the presidential pardon for Nagarik Unmukti Party leader Resham Chaudhary, who was convicted by all three courts of the 2015 Tikapur killings.

“The bill was authenticated for whose interest and happiness. The House can’t resume proceedings unless the prime minister answers the House on issues including the India trip,” said Lingden.

Following the obstruction, Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire adjourned the House meeting for an hour after lawmakers chanted slogans despite repeated requests to let the Parliament resume its business.

“The attention of the House and the Speaker has been seriously drawn toward the issues raised by lawmakers. The government will furnish an answer at the appropriate time,” Ghimire said. “So, I request all the members to take their seats and help the meeting proceed ahead.”

The lower house was scheduled to discuss the budget for the next fiscal year.

Meanwhile, also the meeting of the National Assembly was also adjourned for Monday following obstruction from UML members.