DPM Bimalendra Nidhi: It’s not okay if foreigners still regard Gyanendra Shah as former king

Kathmandu, December 23

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister has raised questions in the Cabinet about meetings between former King Gyanendra Shah and foreigners.

A day after calling for a renewed investigation into the June 19, 2001 Narayanhiti Royal Palace Massacre, Nidhi said it is okay if Chinese and Indian leaders call on Shah as an ordinary citizen. But it is objectionable if they meet Shah in the capacity of a former King, Nidhi maintained.

After the success of Jana Andolan II, the former King has become an ordinary citizen, Nidhi said. The Nepali Congress leader wondered if the foreigners were still regarding Shah as the former king. It should be noted that Indian leaders, BJP figures in particular, call on the former King secretely during their visits to Nepal. Recently, the former King had visited India and China, and had meetings that were political in nature.

On Thursday, Nidhi had called for a renewed probe into the massacre, a day after the former royal issued a press release criticising performance of political parties, increasing role of foreign forces in Nepal’s internal affairs and questioning the achievements of Jana Andolan II.

At the meeting, Nidhi also pointed at the controversy that surfaced when NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba happened to attend the same programme that a Tibetan leader in exile was attending, in India. He described it as a mere coincidence. Nidhi made it clear that not only the government but his party is also fully committed to the one-China policy.

Prime Minister Prachanda dwelt on the movement against the government-sponsored Constitution amendment proposal, which, among other things, seeks to remove Hill districts from Province 5, CPN-UML leaders’ remarks against the Bill and Shah’s press release. Prachanda described the release as part of a conspiracy to reverse the changes.