KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 7
Kathmandu Metropolitan City has declared a day of mourning tomorrow following the passing of Mukunda Rijal, ward chair of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-16.
Rijal passed away at Grande Hospital this morning, prompting the metropolitan authorities to grant mourning leave for offices under their jurisdiction tomorrow, as per KMC Spokesperson Nabin Manandhar.
Ward Chair Rijal was admitted to Grande Hospital on September 3 following complication in his health. As per Dr Vinod Vijukche, medical director of the hospital, Rijal had been admitted to the intensive care unit after being diagnosed with severe pneumonia (viral pneumonia) which had affected both his lungs.
Later, it was known that he had contracted dengue. Rijal succumbed to the disease in the course of treatment. He passed away at 7:30am today.
Former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai, KMC Mayor Balendra Shah, KMC Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol and other people's representatives paid homage to Rijal. His body was kept at City Hall in Exhibition Road before it was taken to the cremation site at Pashupati Aryaghat later in the evening.
Rijal had served as chair of Nepali Congress of Kathmandu Constituency No 7 and Chair of KMC Ward No 16, after being elected to these positions twice.
Born in 1970, Rijal had long been a cadre of Nepali Congress.He was held in police custody during the democratic mass movement of 1990.
Rijal entered politics while studying at Saraswati Campus. He actively participated in the Nepal Student Union, a student wing of Nepali Congress and also worked with various human rights organisations.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 08, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
