Nepal: Two killed as Army out to crush pro-monarchists; dozens held
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: At least two persons died during the ongoing pro-monarchy agitation in Nepal, where the increasingly unpopular and pro-China communist government sent out the army to crush former King Gyanendra Shah’s supporters, the media reported on Saturday.
The pro-monarchists, demanding restoration of the monarchy abolished in 2008, and restoration of Nepal as the Hindu Kingdom, flooded the roads across Nepal, mainly Kathmandu, as Gyanendra’s supporters held demonstrations and clashed with police, braving water cannons, tear gas shells, and rubber bullets to disperse them.
The Nepal Army was called out and a curfew imposed in parts of Kathmandu on Friday after two persons, including a TV cameraman, died and over a dozen were injured in clashes between supporters of the ex-monarch and police.
The Left Front organized a separate rally, where former Prime Ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal, addressed their workers, with a warning to Gyanendra that his ambition of reclaiming the throne could prove costly to him.
The Left Front, which is not part of the KP Sharma Oli-led government, held the Prime Minister responsible for the resurgence of pro-monarchy forces, claiming it was due to his misgovernance.
The clashes erupted when police fired tear gas shells at the stage where 87-year old Nabaraj Subedi, convener of the pro-monarchy movement, and other senior leaders were seated. Supporters rushed to Subedi who was injured, the reports said.
A fire broke out in a house in the nearby Gairidhara locality where security personnel had positioned themselves. Cameraman Suresh Rajak, who was covering the rally for the Avenues Television channel, was among the two dead. Home Ministry sources said at least 15 people have been injured.
Officials accused Durga Prasai, the designated commander of the rally, of being the man responsible for the violence and issued an arrest warrant against him.
The Kathmandu district administration announced curfew between Shantinagar bridge and Manohara river bridge, including Koteshwor, Tinkune, the airport area, Baneshwor Chowk and Gaushala.
People were allowed to travel to the airport if they produced their tickets, officials said. Public gatherings, demonstrations, meetings and sit-ins have been prohibited during the period.
