INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, August 30
Leader of Nepali Congress Shekhar Koirala today said NC should stick to the provisions of the Interim Constitution of
Nepal-2007 on issues of citizenship
Koirala made the remark in the Central Working Committee of the party today.
He said there should be no discrimination on matter of
&Shouldn&t there be equal right to citizenship for all? When should foreign women and men married to Nepali nationals get naturalised
citizenship? Should the government not issue citizenship on the basis of mother nationality? How can equal right to citizenship adversely
affect our national security?& he asked.
Koirala said number of foreign women married to Nepali men until last year was 400,000.
&If we look
at Home Ministry report, in 2008 the government issued citizenship certificates to 2.6 million people, of which 1.3 million people in the
mountain and hill and 1.2 million people in the Tarai-Madhesareas obtained citizenship certificate by descent
As many as 170,000 people obtained citizenship by birth
Provisions of the interim constitution should be followed on the issue of citzenship,& he argued.
He said the issue of Hindu Rastra (nation)
will be strongly raised in the next general convention of the party
&We need to be sensitive on issues of religion
Is it wrong to oppose slaughter of cows?& he asked.
Koirala said although the government during an all-party meeting held recently said
there were threats to federalism, secularism and inclusiveness from former king and Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal, in
fact, those in the government were posing threats to these elements.
Koirala said the government was misleading public and yet his party was
unable to expose its lies.
He said people faith in the judiciary had eroded as a result of which people were demanding justice from the
streets.
The post ‘On citizenship, NC should stick to provisions of 2007 statute& appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
