1 day ago
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KATHMANDU: Nepal's ruling coalition has called for the arrest of
former king Gyanendra Shah
, 78, after violence erupted during a pro-monarchy protest in which two persons, including a journalist, were killed in Kathmandu last week. On Monday night, senior members of key republican parties met to coordinate a joint response, vowing to defend the federal democratic system from what they described as an "organised attempt to dismantle it".
Speaking in parliament earlier on Monday, PM K P Sharma Oli accused Gyanendra of directly instigating the unrest. "Even former king Gyanendra Shah cannot escape responsibility for this violence. Those who say they will become king again and destroy the system - should they not make their views public on these incidents?" Oli said Gyanendra had met with protest organisers, including controversial figures Durga Prasai and Navaraj Subedi, at Nirmal Niwas - Gyanendra's private residence in Kathmandu - a day before Friday's demonstration. "These activities will not be tolerated, and strict action will be taken," Oli said, referencing a video message released by Gyanendra on Nepal's Democracy Day (Feb 19) that he claimed incited royalist sentiments.
In the video, Gyanendra said he had abdicated "in the greater interest of the country and the people", calling it "a sacrifice, not a weakness". "Democracy today exists more in words than in practice," he said, citing economic hardship, youth migration and a crisis in education. Urging national unity, he called on citizens to "correct past mistakes" and added, "I am ready to make any sacrifice for the country". No official case, charge, or arrest order has yet been issued against Gyanendra.
On Monday night, senior members of Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), Janata Samajbadi Party, Janamat Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, CPN (Unified Socialist), and Nepal Samajbadi Party convened to address the unrest. Home minister Ramesh Lekhak said the parties had reached a joint conclusion to protect the constitution. "The current system of governance was achieved through a long struggle. No anti-constitutional activities will be tolerated," he said. CPN (Maoist Centre) deputy general secretary Shakti Basnet said: "It is time for political parties to engage in serious self-reflection regarding actions that might have hurt sentiments of the public." Nepal Samajbadi Party chair and former PM Baburam Bhattarai said Gyanendra's actions amounted to criminal incitement.
Meanwhile, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), which supports restoring the monarchy and was a part of the protest, condemned the remarks. Binay Rawal, central committee member, said, "We challenge govt to arrest the former king. We have been very clear that we should not drag the king into controversy and daily politics. The streets of Kathmandu echo with the voices of a frustrated nation - three decades of promises, yet the people still seek solace in their past. Also, these are the same people who were responsible for the killings of 17,000 people during their armed war against the monarchy."
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