Pro-monarchists planning grand rally as ex-king Gyanendra arrives at Kathmandu airport on Sunday

Kathmandu: Nepal’s former king Gyanendra Shah is returning to Kathmandu from Pokhara on Sunday after touring different parts of the country for a couple of months.

Pro-monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party and other loyalists are planning to welcome the former king at Tribhuvan International Airport in a grand manner on Sunday afternoon.

Pro-monarchists claim that thousands of people will gather at the airport on Sunday to welcome Gyanendra.

Meanwhile, the local administration is tightening security by mobilising a large number of security personnel from Kathmandu airport to Nirmal Niwas at Maharajgunj, Gyanendra’s residence, on Sunday to avert any untoward incident.

Pro-monarchist groups have been rallying in various parts of the country, including Kathmandu, since the democracy day on February 19, chanting slogans in favour of the former king and against the current dispensation.

In his message to the nation on the occasion, Gyanendra said, “Time has come for me to assume responsibility to protect the country and bring about national unity.” The growing public anger due to corruption, unemployment, inflation, nepotism and favouritism have created fertile ground for the pro-monarchists for fishing in the troubled waters, pointed out political observers.

Meanwhile, CPN-Maoist chairman Pushpakamal Dahal “Prachanda” has cut short his party’s ongoing campaign in Terai and returned to Kathmandu to talk to his party colleagues regarding the latest political developments.

There are speculations that Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli will call an all-party meeting to discuss about the fluid political situation of the country.

On Friday, Nepal’s former prime minister and chairman of the CPN-Unified Socialist Madhav Kumar Nepal said the country has ruled out the possibility of reinstatement of monarchy as claimed by some people and a section of the media.

“Monarchy has become a history of the past, so there is no possibility of its reinstatement,” he said.

He also advised former king Gyanendra to contest election and become the prime minister if he wishes to serve the nation.

Meanwhile, speaking at different programmes, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpakamal Dahal “Prachanda” warned the former king not to do foolish things by using a handful of people in his favour.

Gyanendra is the last reigning king of the Himalayan nation, ruling from 2001 to 2008, when the monarchy was ended.