Supporters of Nepal’s deposed royal family rallied in the capital on Sunday, calling for the restoration of the monarchy ahead of March elections.
Supporters of Nepal’s deposed royal family rallied in the capital on Sunday, calling for the restoration of the monarchy ahead of March elections.
This was the first rally by supporters of ousted
King Gyanendra since a wave of violent demonstrations by disgruntled youth in September installed an interim government that set fresh parliamentary elections in March.
“We love our king. Bring back the king,” the rally participants chanted around the statue of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, who started the Shah dynasty in the 18th century. It is pertinent to note that the last Shah king — Gyanendra — was forced to step down and the monarchy was abolished in 2008, making Nepal a republic.
“The last and only alternative for this country is a king and a monarchy only”, said protester Samrat Thapa. “In the present context and the paththe country has taken after the Gen Z movement, there needs to be a monarchy restored to manage the situation.”
It is pertinent to note that Sunday marks the birth anniversary of Prithvi Narayan, and the annual rally in the past has turned violent with clashes between demonstrators and police. Two people were killed during a pro-king rally last March. Sunday’s gathering was peaceful as riot police kept a close watch on the event.
The royal family of Nepal still enjoys significant support. The interim government of the country is currently being led by Nepal’s first female prime minister,
Sushila Karki, a retired Supreme Court judge, who took over following protests by Gen Z activists complaining of corruption, lack of opportunities, employment and poor governance.
They were triggered by the previous government’s short-lived ban on social media. However, Karki has been criticised for dragging her feet in filing corruption cases.
With inputs from the Associated Press.
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