By Our Reporter
The unified political and other pro-royalist groups are going to launch their political movement from Thursday to overthrow the federal republic system and restore monarchy, 17 years after it was abolished.
Coincidentally, the pro-monarchy forces have chosen May 29, the Republic Day, to launch their political movement when the government and pro-republic forces are preparing to mark the Republic Day by organising various programmes.
Considering the Republic Day celebration and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s instructions to the UML carders to capture the streets of the capital on a particular day, clashes are likely on the first day of the movement. The PM while addressing a gathering of ward chairs elected from his party in Godavari, happened to make the controversial remarks.
After the PM’s remarks, the RPP and other leaders on Tuesday said they felt unsafe and feared they will be prevented from exercising the democratic rights granted by the constitution.
Together with the UML, the main opposition, CPN (Maoist Centre), may also counter the pro-royalists’ demonstrations although the party had not said anything regarding its programme on Republic Day.
Chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Rajendra Lingden has said that he will be at the forefront of Thursday’s demonstration, and the first day’s demonstration will succeed in ending the republic system. However, it looks unlikely that the group will succeed in its mission on the very first day.
Lingden was nowhere during the March 28 demonstration of the pro-royalist groups which went violent resulting in two deaths and destruction of property from Tinkune to Jadibuti. Fifty of those who participated in the March 28 demonstration are facing court cases while Durga Prasai, the commander of the violent demonstration, is in police custody.
After the March 28 incident, the divided pro-royalist groups got united in the indirect aegis of former King Gyanendra. As a result, Lingden, Kamal Thapa, Keshar Bahadur Bista and Nawaraj Subedi have come together excluding Prasai for the movement.
The remarks of the Prime Minister that the UML should take the street under control on May 29 have drawn criticism from the National Human Rights Commission as well as Nepali Congress leaders.
They said that in a democracy everyone has the right to organise peaceful demonstrations, and the PM’s remarks have invited a confrontation. Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa and leader Shekhar Koirala have publicly objected to the PM’s remarks.
It seems the PM intended to foil the May 29 demonstrations of the pro-monarchy forces by making such a comment. Maybe, he made remarks which contradict the constitution in the perception that the royalists were backed by a force from southern neighbour, as the PM is not in good terms with the establishment of India.
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