Latest news with #Gyanendra
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nepal bans protests around Narayanhiti Palace area amid protests by pro-monarchy groups
Nepal's authorities on Friday (May 30, 2025) banned protests and public gatherings around the Narayanhiti Palace area in the heart of Kathmandu amid demonstrations by pro-monarchist groups demanding the reinstatement of the monarchy and the establishment of a Hindu state. According to a notice issued by Chief District Officer Rishiram Tiwari, the restriction will be in effect from Saturday (May 31, 2025) until July 8. The restricted zone spans from Kesharmahal Chowk to the southern gate of the Narayanhiti Palace Museum, including the route via Jaya Nepal Mode and the Mahendra Statue to the museum's southern gate. All forms of protests, sit-ins, rallies, demonstrations and assemblies are prohibited in this area. Similar prohibitory orders had earlier been enforced in front of the residences of the President and Vice President, the Parliament building as well as in Bhadrakali, Singha Durbar and surrounding areas. The decision came in the wake of pro-monarchy demonstrations in the capital city. The pro-monarchist groups, including the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), have launched Kathmandu-centred protest programmes from Thursday (May 29, 2025) with the objectives of reinstatement of monarchy and establishment of a Hindu state in Nepal. They have announced that they will organise demonstrations near the Narayanhiti Palace Museum area on Saturday (May 31, 2025). The protesters, including cadres and leaders of the RPP, disrupted traffic in several parts of Kathmandu, including Maitighar-Mandala, Babarmahal and Naya Baneshwar area. The RPP is the fifth-largest party in the House of Representatives. The protesters, carrying photographs of former King Gyanendra, chanted slogans against Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli-led government. The protests have been peaceful so far. Nepalese political parties, through a Parliament declaration, abolished the 240-year-old monarchy in 2008 and turned the erstwhile Hindu kingdom into a secular, federal, democratic republic. There have been a series of protests in Kathmandu and some other parts of the country by the pro-monarchists, in recent months, demanding the reinstatement of the monarchy.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Nepal sees massive pro-monarchy protests calling for king's return, Hindu state
Tens of thousands of protesters demanding the abolished monarchy be restored and the former king be made the head of state of the Himalayan nation demonstrated in Nepal Thursday. The protesters, waving flags and chanting slogans, demanded the return of the king and the restoration of Hinduism as a state religion as they marched through the main circle in the capital, Kathmandu. Just a few hundred meters (yards) from the pro-monarchy protesters, their opponents, who are supporters of the Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, had gathered at the exhibition grounds to celebrate Republic Day. There was fear that these two groups could likely clash and create trouble in the city. Hundreds of riot police kept the two groups apart and authorities had given them permission on different times to carry out their rallies. Nepal abolished the monarchy and turned the nation into a republic in 2008, bringing in a president as the head of the state. 'Bring king back to the throne and save the country. We love our king more than our lives,' the estimated 20,000 protesters chanted with a few playing traditional drums and musical instruments. 'We are going to continue our protests until the centuries-old monarchy is brought back and the country turned in to a Hindu stage for the interest of the country,' said Dil Nath Giri, a supporter of the former king at the rally. The pro-monarchy supporters had announced they were restarting their protests from Thursday. In their last protest on March 28, two people including a television cameraman, were killed when protesters attacked buildings and set them on fire while police fired bullets and tear gas on the protesters. Several protesters arrested on that day are still in jail. There has been growing demand in recent months for Gyanendra Shah to be reinstated as king and Hinduism to be brought back as a state religion. Royalist groups accuse the country's major political parties of corruption and failed governance and say people are frustrated with politicians. Massive street protests in 2006 forced Gyanendra to give up his authoritarian rule, and two years later the parliament voted to abolish the monarchy. Gyanendra, who left the Royal Palace to live as commoner, has not commented on the calls for the return of monarchy. Despite growing support, the former king has little chance of immediately returning to power.
AsiaOne
5 days ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Nepal's royalists demand restoration of monarchy dumped 17 years ago, Asia News
KATHMANDU — Thousands of supporters of Nepal's former king rallied in the capital Kathmandu on Thursday (May 29), calling for the restoration of the constitutional monarchy that was abolished 17 years ago, amid rising unhappiness with successive elected governments. Flag-waving protesters marched into the city centre from different directions shouting: "Our king is dearer than lives ... king come back and save the country," as riot police stood guard but did not intervene. At a similar rally in March, two people were killed and several injured. The 239-year-old monarchy was voted out in 2008 following weeks of bloody street protests. The last king of the Himalayan nation, 77-year-old Gyanendra, has lived with his family in a private house in Kathmandu as a commoner since being toppled. He has not commented on Thursday's demonstration but expressed sorrow at the violence that killed two people in March. Demonstrators are also calling for the country of 30 million people, wedged between China and India, to become a Hindu state again, a status it lost with the monarchy. "Governments formed in the last 17 years have failed to deliver on their promises of development, creation of jobs and improvement of the living conditions of people," said 35-year-old street vendor Rajendra Tamang. "Thousands of young people are forced to leave the country in search of work as they see no hope here," he said. Millions of young Nepalis are working in the Middle East, South Korea and Malaysia, mainly at construction sites, and the money they send home is a key source of income for Nepal. Supporters of the government staged a separate but smaller rally nearby in support of the republican system that replaced the monarchy. The three major political parties that jointly control nearly 200 of the 275 seats in parliament say the monarchy was consigned to history and cannot be restored. All three jointly campaigned against the monarchy and voted it out in 2008 and say their faith in the republican system was unshakeable. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which is campaigning for the monarchy, holds only 13 seats in parliament. A two-thirds majority or 184 lawmakers is needed to change the constitution, which was adopted in 2015, turning Nepal into a federal democratic republic. The royalists say their protests will continue until the monarchy is restored. [[nid:691979]]
5 days ago
- Politics
Tens of thousands demonstrate in Nepal seeking restoration of ousted monarchy
KATHMANDU, Nepal -- Tens of thousands of protesters demanding the abolished monarchy be restored and the former king be made the head of state of the Himalayan nation demonstrated in Nepal Thursday. The protesters, waving flags and chanting slogans, demanded the return of the king and the restoration of Hinduism as a state religion as they marched through the main circle in the capital, Kathmandu. Just a few hundred meters (feet) from the pro-monarchy protesters, their opponents, who are supporters of the Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, had gathered at the exhibition grounds to celebrate Republic Day. There was fear that these two groups could likely clash and create trouble in the city. Hundreds of riot police kept the two groups apart and authorities had given them permission on different times to take out their rallies. Nepal abolished the monarchy and turned the nation into a republic in 2008, bringing in a president as the head of the state. 'Bring king back to the throne and save the country. We love our king more than our lives,' the estimated 20,000 protesters chanted with a few playing traditional drums and musical instruments. 'We are going to continue our protests until the centuries-old monarchy is brought back and the country turned in to a Hindu stage for the interest of the country,' said Dil Nath Giri, a supporter of the former king at the rally. The pro-monarchy supporters had announced they were restarting their protests from Thursday. In their last big protest on March 28, two people including a television cameraman, were killed when protesters attacked buildings and set them on fire while police fired bullets and tear gas on the protesters. Several protesters arrested on that day are still in jail. There has been growing demand in recent months for Gyanendra Shah to be reinstated as king and Hinduism to be brought back as a state religion. Royalist groups accuse the country's major political parties of corruption and failed governance and say people are frustrated with politicians. Massive street protests in 2006 forced Gyanendra to give up his authoritarian rule, and two years later the parliament voted to abolish the monarchy. Gyanendra, who left the Royal Palace to live as commoner, has not commented on the calls for the return of monarchy. Despite growing support, the former king has little chance of immediately returning to power.
CNA
5 days ago
- General
- CNA
Nepal's royalists demand restoration of monarchy dumped 17 years ago
KATHMANDU: Thousands of supporters of Nepal's former king rallied in the capital Kathmandu on Thursday (May 29), calling for the restoration of the constitutional monarchy that was abolished 17 years ago, amid rising unhappiness with successive elected governments. Flag-waving protesters marched into the city centre from different directions shouting: 'Our king is dearer than lives ... king come back and save the country,' as riot police stood guard but did not intervene. At a similar rally in March, two people were killed and several injured. The 239-year-old monarchy was voted out in 2008 following weeks of bloody street protests. The last king of the Himalayan nation, 77-year-old Gyanendra, has lived with his family in a private house in Kathmandu as a commoner since being toppled. He has not commented on Thursday's demonstration but expressed sorrow at the violence that killed two people in March. Demonstrators are also calling for the country of 30 million people, wedged between China and India, to become a Hindu state again, a status it lost with the monarchy. 'Governments formed in the last 17 years have failed to deliver on their promises of development, creation of jobs and improvement of the living conditions of people,' said 35-year-old street vendor Rajendra Tamang. 'Thousands of young people are forced to leave the country in search of work as they see no hope here,' he said. Millions of young Nepalis are working in the Middle East, South Korea and Malaysia, mainly at construction sites, and the money they send home is a key source of income for Nepal. Supporters of the government staged a separate but smaller rally nearby in support of the republican system that replaced the monarchy. The three major political parties that jointly control nearly 200 of the 275 seats in parliament say the monarchy was consigned to history and cannot be restored. All three jointly campaigned against the monarchy and voted it out in 2008 and say their faith in the republican system was unshakeable. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which is campaigning for the monarchy, holds only 13 seats in parliament. A two-thirds majority or 184 lawmakers is needed to change the constitution, which was adopted in 2015, turning Nepal into a federal democratic republic.
