The Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) has turned down the Friday deadline set by the government for talks on issues of Terai.

The MJF said it would not sit for talks unless the government fulfilled its minimum conditions — formation of an inquiry commission on the loss of lives and property during Terai agitations and martyrs’ status to those killed in the agitations. MFJ chairman Upendra Yadav accused the government of failing to meet any of the demands, hence making no favourable climate for talks.

The government’s talk team led by Peace and Reconstruction minister Ram Chandra had invited the MJF for talks today. There was no immediate reaction from Poudel committee to MFJ’s refusal.

Few days earlier, there were reports of secret meetings between minister Poudel and MJF leaders as part of preparing ground for formal talks.

The MFJ had carried weeks of relentless agitations across Terai a couple of months ago, demanding federal structure of the state and delimitation of electoral constituencies on the basis of population, among others.