KATHMANDU, MARCH 14

CPN-MC Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal has stated that when he was Prime Minister for the first time, he attempted to probe "fatriciders and traitors" by investigating the Royal Palace massacre.

"When I first became Prime Minister, I proposed that the Royal Palace massacre be investigated again. If I had been able to rule for five years at the time, I would have looked into it again and put these fatriciders and traitors in the history books," he said at a programme in Melamchi, Sindhupalchowk, on Friday. "They are showing up a lot again. We are ready to respond robustly."

Dahal became Prime Minister a few months after the Constituent Assembly elections on April 10, 2008, but he only served for nine months. He resigned from office after the President overruled the government's decision to remove then-Army Chief Rukmangad Katuwal.

He has urged former King Gyanendra Shah not to commit any more foolish acts. "If he continues to commit stupidity, the people will not be generous, and neither will the political parties," he said.

He also claimed that the horrific Royal Palace massacre was orchestrated by a family member. He also stated that the Nepali people knew who stole the idols and smuggled gold and ended the dynasty.

The family of then-King Birendra Shah was assassinated on June 1, 2001. Gyanendra became king in 2002, following the massacre of his brother and family in the palace. He ruled as the constitutional head of state, with no executive or political powers, until 2005, when he assumed complete power. He disbanded the government and parliament, imprisoned politicians and journalists, and cut off communication, declaring a state of emergency and imposing martial law.

Massive street protests in 2006 forced Gyanendra to relinquish his authoritarian rule, and two years later, the parliament voted to abolish the monarchy as Gyanendra left the Royal Palace to live as a commoner.

Meanwhile, on March 9 (Sunday), tens and thousands of supporters greeted former king Gyanendra in the capital, demanding the restoration of his abolished monarchy and the reinstatement of Hinduism as a state religion.

An estimated 10,000 Gyanendra Shah supporters blocked the main entrance to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport as he returned from a tour of western Nepal.

Several agitators claimed that the government has failed to bring about political stability, blaming it for a struggling economy and widespread corruption, noting that the country has had 13 governments since the monarchy was abolished in 2008.

Monarchists claim that the video message released by former King Gyanendra Shah on Democracy Day this year has boosted the cause of restoring the monarchy. They claim that now is the high time to advance their cause, citing the former king's call to support him if we want to save the country.

Former king Shah, who said he had given up his position, comforts, and privileges for the good of the people, warned against thinking it was a weakness. In the message, Shah expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, "Even though the country's system has changed, the citizens' conditions have not changed."

Similarly, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairperson Rajendra Lingden stated today that no one can stop the restoration of Nepal's monarchy and Hindu state.

At a programme held in Kathmandu on Friday to commemorate Media Nepal's anniversary, Lingden stated that the country has reached a crossroads and that no one can prevent the restoration of the monarchy and Hindu nation in Nepal given current developments.