KATHMANDU: The ruling Maoist Center has said that President Bidya Devi Bhandari has hurt the dignity of the Constitution by declining to authenticate the Citizenship Bill.

Maoist Senior Vice Chairman Narayankaji Shrestha said that the President’s declination to authenticate the Citizenship Bill sent by the Federal Parliament was a violation of the Constitution.

Shrestha said that President Bhandari did not respect the dignity of the Constitution.

He added that they had not even imagined that she would go against the dignity of the Constitution.

Shrestha said that the President’s move will be discussed in today’s meeting of the ruling coalition.

The deadline for authenticating Citizenship Bill ended Tuesday midnight as the President did not take any steps.

According to the Constitutional provision, the President had to authenticate the Bill within 15 days.

The Bill has become inactive now, according to legal experts.

Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota sent the Citizenship Bill to the President’s Office for the second time on September 5.

Therefore, as mentioned in Article 113, Sub-section 4 of the Constitution, the President had to certify it if the same Bill was submitted for authentication for the second time.

“If the President returns a bill with a message, both Houses will reconsider such a bill and if such a bill is passed as presented or resubmitted with amendments, the President will certify it within fifteen days of its submission,” according to the Constitution.

Earlier on August 14, President Bhandari returned the Citizenship Bill that was passed by the House of Representatives and the National Assembly and sent for authentication.

Even though the President returned the Bill to the House for reconsideration, the House of Representatives and the National Assembly made no changes to the Bill.