KATHMANDU: President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s position on not authenticating the Citizenship Bill has created ripples in the political arena.

President Bhandari did not certify the Bill to amend the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2063 which was endorsed twice by both the House of Representatives and the National Assembly within the stipulated time.

This, according to Nepali Congress (NC) senior leader, Ramchandra Paudel, said is an “attack on the Constitution itself to hurt its essence and sentiments.”

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday morning, leader Paudel said that it is an attack on the Constitution that has severely hurt the essence and spirit of the Constitution.

Paudel has also criticized the President’s move.

“The President has threatened the system by having to use the constitutional rights of the proposed bill with the approval of the people’s elected assembly,” he said.

Similarly, former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said that it is worrisome that everyone is making holes in the “boat of democracy”.

“The President’s hesitance to validate the Bill passed by the Parliament for two times, impeachment of the Chief Justice, parties’ wrangling, increasing the bank interest, among others are, in fact, serious,” he said.

Dr. Bhattarai has urged one and all to be responsible.

Similarly, Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Chairman Upendra Yadav said that the President’s non-certification of the Citizenship Bill, which was passed twice by both houses of Parliament, is a blatant violation of the Constitution.

“The President’s non-certification of the Citizenship Bill, which has been passed twice by both houses of Parliament, is a blatant violation of the Constitution and an attack on the essence of the parliamentary democratic system,” Yadav said.

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.

Meanwhile, CPN-UML leader Shanta Chaudhary has praised the President’s decision not to validate the citizenship bill labeling it a “bold decision”.

It should be noted that there is a provision that a decision must be taken within 15 days on the Bill passed by both houses of the House of Representatives and sent to the President for authentication.

Meanwhile, top leaders of the ruling alliance are meeting on Wednesday to chalk out a future strategy about the President’s move.