KATHMANDU: The Nepal Army on Friday evening is organising a farewell party to controversy marred CoAS Rookmangud Katawal after his 43 years of service.

According to our sources the NA has organised a special function at 6 pm, today at the Tribhuvan Army Club. New CoAS Chatra Man Singh Gurung will be addressing the function for the first time. He will exchange gifts with Katawal. Katawal will be receiving a ‘guard of honour’ from the army troops during the function.

Katawal is on a customary home leave from August 10, Monday. He is retiring on September 9 from the post of the CoAS.

The final days of Katawal’s tenure were overshadowed by controversy after the government led by the UCPN-Maoist replaced him with then second-in-command of Nepal Army Kul Bahadur Khadka as the new CoAS. However, he was soon reinstated to his post by President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav through a written notice. Expressing dissatisfaction over the President’s ‘unconstitutional’ move the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ resigned from his post and his party announced protest programmes demanding the reinstatement of the civilian supremacy in the land. From then onwards UPCN-Maoist have been protesting from the streets and obstructing the parliament to press their demands to reinstate the civilian supremacy in the country.