Palace behind riots in Terai: Minister

Kathmandu, January 24 (UNI) Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Mahanta Thakur has alleged the involvement of the palace in the riots taking place in Lahan in eastern Terai, in which four people were killed.

''We discussed about the evidences that revealed the involvement of the palace in fuelling the riots there,''state run media quoted Thakur as saying.

''Conspiracies against people and the nation would not stop till the palace continued to exist,'' the state run ''The Rising Nepal'' quoted him as saying.

''Voices should be raised in favour of the rights of the Madhesi community, but the process that has been adopted was flawed and there is maximum infiltration of regressive forces of the palace in the Terai riots,''he said.

''Mounting pressure through violent activity will not be accepted in a sovereign nation, such activities could lead the nation towards fragmentation.'' Leader of the Maoists Dr Baburam Bhattarai also said the palace was behind the riots, local media said.

The Government had imposed curfew in Lahan, district headquarters of Siraha in Terai in eastern Nepal after the death of protestors.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has urged the Madeshi rights forum, that launched the protest, to come to the negotiating table to resolve the problem through dialogue.

UNI