Nepal’s Vice-President Paramananda Jha on Wednesday said he would rather quit his post than retake his oath.
The Supreme Court has asked Mr. Jha, who took his oath in Hindi, to take it again in Nepali.
“The Supreme Court has given me two options,” Mr. Jha told representatives of the Linguistic Rights Joint Struggle Committee Nepal, “I will quit than retake the oath.” “That way, I will also respect the Court,” he added.
Mr. Jha’s daughter, Jyoti, who also works as his joint secretary, said Mr. Jha wants the Constituent Assembly to discuss the issue. “He is even ready to face impeachment, if a two- thirds majority of the Assembly thinks he should take the oath in Nepali,” she told The Hindu .
According to the provisions of the interim Constitution, a Vice-President can be removed in case of violation of the Constitution if a two-thirds majority in the Assembly impeaches him or her. The Supreme Court has already termed his oath “unconstitutional” as it was not taken in Nepali.