Chairman of Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekta Party Keshav Prasad Mainali said Sunday that large number of Nepali citizenship certificates were “illegally” distributed in Terai region and added that Constituent Assembly (CA) elections would not be possible until the illegal citizenships are scrapped.
Speaking at a programme in the capital Sunday, Mainali not only threatened to boycott the election if the “illegal citizenship certificates” were not invalidated, but also warned of a protest movement against it.
“Large number of citizenship certificates were distributed to foreigners [in Terai], “ Mainali accused, hinting that Indian nationals were the ones who received such citizenship certificates, “Till those citizenship are not invalidated, there can’t be a free and fair election and we don’t also have any intention to take part in such meaningless election.”
A couple of days ago police had arrested Dhirendra Yadav, an Indian national enlisted as one of most-wanted criminals in Bihar state for creating terror among local businessmen with frequent kidnappings including threats and extortions in border districts of eastern Nepal since long. Yadav, who is also being suspected of murdering Agricultural Development Bank’s Rajbiraj branch manager Bikram Prasad Sah, was found to have received Nepali citizenship certificate a year ago from the same district.
From the past many years there have been concerns about Nepali citizenship certificates being easily handed out to large number of Indians, especially criminals like Yadav fleeing the law there on bribe money. But, with the reinstatement of democracy following the fall of the royal regime, the concern has been heightened what with the government being criticized for haphazardly distributing millions of citizenship certificates in Terai without following due procedures.
Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekta Party came into the limelight during the Terai unrest last year when it raised voices against the government’s apathy towards Pahades (people of hilly origin) living in the Chure and the Terai belt who bore the brunt of attacks, especially armed Madhesi outfits demanding citizenship certificates to genuine Madhesis who have been denied the right. nepalnews.com ag Feb 03 08