Nepal, April 11 -- Former chief of the District Coordination Committee (DCC) in Jhapa has claimed that he has become a victim of caste-based discrimination and abuse. Somnath Portel, the provincial level CPN-UML leader who earlier served as the DCC chief, lodged a complaint at the Area Police Office in Birtamod on Wednesday.

Portel, in his police complaint, claimed that Dambar Giri, a former vice-chairman of Haldibari Rural Municipality in Jhapa, verbally abused him using caste-related derogatory words. According to him, Giri telephoned him on March 31 and inquired about the agenda of the UML's recent meeting. Portal claimed that Giri verbally insulted Portel after the latter refused to divulge details of the meeting.

"He (Giri) called ...