KATHMANDU, July 28: CPN-UML Central Advisory Committee has said the act by the Vice President Paramananda Jha of using a foreign language Hindi in oath-taking against the interim constitution has hurt the national unity and sovereign integrity of the country, nationalist sentiments of the Nepali people as well as the country’s existence.

The committee in a statement published said, as such a person cannot take guardianship in preserving national unity and sovereign integrity, he should resign from the post immediately.

In Dailekh/Waling, eight students unions burnt the effigy of vice president Paramanand Jha in Dailekh yesterday for taking the oath of office and secrecy in Hindi language.

Earlier the students held a demonstration and corner meeting in which they chanted slogans against Jha and demanded his resignation.

On the occasion, student leaders said Jha should either quit or apologize to the public or take a fresh oath in Nepali language or else strong protests would be launched against him.

Likewise, the students organised a torch rally and burnt Jha’s effigy in Waling of Syangja, saying that Jha’s act has disrespected Nepali language. Demonstrators shouted strong slogans against Jha.

Meanwhile, the Patriotic Republican Unity Campaign has presented a memorandum to the President calling for annulment of the oath of office taken in Hindi language by Vice President Paramananda Jha and making him take the oath again as per the Constitutional provisions.

"This kind of act pushes in the shadow the Nepali language, the lingua-franca of all Nepalese and other mother languages like Kochila, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Abadhi, Magar, Gurung, Newar, Tamang, Rai, Tharu, Rajbanshi, among others, spoken by the indigenous nationalities of Nepal, " it is stated in the memorandum.

Noting that such acts by country’s highest officials created obstruction in the protection, promotion and development of the script, culture and tradition of these linguistic communities, the Campaign said that it has come to the conclusion that the act of an individual elected to the high office of the Vice President taking oath in Hindi is not only an act of using Hindi language but behind it there is a conspiracy to undermine the Nepali pride, independence and identity