Former Nepal King Gyanendra fined by Kathmandu civic body for vandalism

Former King Gyanendra Shah was on Saturday issued a letter demanding fine by Kathmandu’s civic body following the damage caused to public property and environment during the pro-monarchy protests in parts of the Nepalese capital a day before.

Parts of Kathmandu on Friday witnessed a tense situation after pro-monarchy protesters pelted stones, attacked the office of a political party, set fire to vehicles and looted shops in the Tinkune-Baneshwor area of Kathmandu.

Two persons, including a TV cameraman, were killed and 110 others injured in the clashes between the security personnel and the pro-monarchy protesters.

As the protest was organised on the call of Gyanendra Shah, Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s (KMC) mayor Balendra Shah sent a letter to his residence at Nirmala Niwas at Maharjgunj on the outskirt of Kathmandu asking him to pay Nepali Rupees 7,93,000 as compensation against the damage.

In the letter sent to the former monarch, copies of which were released to the media, the KMC said that the protest organised with the call of the former monarch had damaged various properties belonging to the metropolis and affected the environment of the capital city.

Durga Prasai, who was the convener of Friday’s agitation, had met Gyanendra Shah a day before and received instructions to stage the agitation demanding reinstatement of monarchy and a Hindu state.

The pro-monarchists have become active since democracy day in February when Gyanendra Shah said, “Time has come for us to assume responsibility to protect the country and bring about national unity.”

The pro-monarchists were organising rallies in Kathmandu and other parts of the country, demanding the reinstatement of the 240-year-old monarchy, abolished in 2008.

Earlier on Monday, March 24, a group of civil society leaders in Nepal slammed Gyanendra Shah for becoming “politically active with the aim of reinstating monarchy”.

“Gyanendra Shah’s descent into political activism subverts the nation-building efforts of his ancestors and carries the danger of weakening the country before its neighbours and the world,” eight civil society leaders had said in a joint statement.