Nepal to stay secular, Hindu nation proposal rejected

Kathmandu:  A proposal to revert Nepal as a Hindu state was on Monday overwhelmingly rejected by the Constituent Assembly which declared that the Hindu-majority nation will remain secular, triggering violent protests amid an already volatile situation over federal structure.
More than two-thirds of lawmakers in the 601-member Constituent Assembly turned down the proposal by pro-Hindu Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N) to amend the Constitution to restore Nepal as a Hindu state.
The lawmakers declared that the country should remain secular as the Constituent Assembly resumed voting on articles of the draft Constitution clause by clause.
RPP-N Chairman Kamal Thapa had registered the amendment proposal demanding to reinstate Nepal as a Hindu state in Article 4 of the revised bill of the new constitution.
However, the proposal on restoring Nepal as Hindu state was rejected as it did not secure the required 10 per cent of votes, according to party sources.
Two-thirds majority votes were required to endorse the proposal.