Kathmandu, August 28 :

Monarchy will go, whether the Nepali Congress (NC) wants it or not, according to CPN-UML leader Bam Dev Gautam.

Addressing a press meet organised by the Reporters Club today, Gautam said that the NC wants monarchy to go “and it knows that it will be sidelined if it tries to push for ceremonial monarchy.” Even Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has clearly said that the people will decide the monarchy’s fate through elections to a Constituent Assembly, he said.

“Rest assured, the monarchy will go, be it through a referendum or elections to a Constituent Assembly,” he said. He blamed the monarchy for the massive deforestation resulting in natural disasters such as floods. Innumerable trees were felled during the Panchayat system, according to him.