Upendra Yadav

Who is Upendra Yadav?

Upendra Yadav is a Nepalese politician and chairman of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, a political party in Nepal, that has its electoral base primarily in the plains of Nepal. His political party first came to notice after it burnt the Interim Constitution of Nepal in 2007, Upendra Yadav was also involved in the actual burning of the Constitution. In March 2007, dispute between MJF activists and United Communist Party of Nepal regarding the site of gathering of their respective parties activist in Gaur, lead to violence, which left at least 27 people dead. According to the field report prepared by the OHCHR office in Kathmandu, MJF activists were primarily responsible for the gruesome murder of the Maoists cadres. However, no criminal charges were ever filed against Upendra yadav or other leaders or activists of the party. Before creating the Forum, Upendra Yadav was a Maoist cadre.

He and his party have demanded autonomy for the Terai Region of Nepal, in addition to a proportional electoral system and an end to discrimination.

Following the April 2008 Constituent Assembly election, the MJF agreed to join a government headed by Prachanda, the chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal. Yadav was subsequently appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs and sworn in on August 22, 2008; he was one of four MJF members included in the Cabinet. He served as Foreign Minister until the end of Prachanda's government in June 2009.