KATHMANDU: Top leaders of major political parties on Wednesday stressed the need of national unity as they celebrated the National Unity Day commemorating the 295th birth anniversary of the national unifier King Prithvi Narayan Shah.

Speaking at a tea party organised by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Prime Minister and CPN Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli among others said the national unity should be promoted while protecting and promoting coexistence of multiple castes, languages and cultures here.

Dahal said the King had established Nepal as a strong centralised state and it served as a foundation of national unity.

"Now," he said, "It is needed to make Nepal with multiple ethnicities, languages and cultures even stronger."

Likewise, Deuba said, "No word is enough to describe the contribution of Prithvi Narayan Shah."

Oli, on the occasion, said, "Contributions of Shah should not be manipulated to serve one's interests."

"He unified Nepal to meet wishes and demands of Nepali people then," he added.

Leaders and cadres of political parties, ministers and lawmakers, security officials, professionals and intellectuals, representatives of Kathmandu-based diplomatic missions among others were present on the occasion.

(With inputs from the Rastriya Samachar Samiti)