JANAKPURDHAM: As political tension escalates in Madhesh Province following the midnight appointment of UML leader Saroj Kumar Yadav as Chief Minister, Janamat Party Chairman Dr. CK Raut has reignited his long-dormant agenda of Madhesh autonomy.
Taking to social media on Monday, Raut called for the declaration of Madhesh as an autonomous state, arguing that the current turmoil has created the right time to assert Madhesh’s self-governance.
“Let’s declare Madhesh an autonomous province from the Provincial Assembly itself. Let’s form our own government with our own police and administration,” Raut wrote, questioning the constitutional legitimacy of the federal government.
Raut, who once led an armed separatist movement demanding an independent Madhesh, said Madheshi leaders should no longer fear Kathmandu’s political establishment. “Why should we be afraid of the same rulers who have repeatedly ignored Madhesh’s voice?” he wrote.
He added that Madhesh, representing more than half of Nepal’s population, should no longer remain under the “control of Singha Durbar,” and called for a peaceful but decisive campaign for full provincial autonomy.
Raut’s statement comes as the province remains tense after Province Chief Sumitra Subedi Bhandari appointed Yadav as Chief Minister at 4 a.m. on Monday under Article 168(3) of the Constitution. The decision, made at a Bardibas hotel, has drawn widespread criticism from seven political parties, who plan to challenge it in the Supreme Court.
Protests erupted soon after the appointment, with demonstrators storming the Chief Minister’s Office and clashing with police. Against this backdrop, Raut’s call for Madhesh autonomy has added a new layer of political sensitivity in the already volatile province.
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