Ex-King Gyanendra's Royal Welcome Sparks Clash Ahead of Nepal's March Polls

The former King was welcomed by supporters from the right-wing Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and pro-monarchy organisations, who chanted slogans against the existing political system.

"In the current context, the attempt to hold the election and we, the pro-monarchists, hitting the street is a clash between the two sides. One wants to save the nation, while the other wants to destabilise the nation further.

The existing government is being meddled with by foreign hands, and we are the ones who have come to the street to save the nation, save sovereignty, and reinstate the pillar of the public, the monarchy," Sambhu Prasad Niraula, a pro-monarchist, told ANI.

Authorities fortified the entrance of Tribhuvan International Airport, allowing only passengers to enter the premises upon confirmation of tickets issued in their name.

Passengers, both domestic and foreign tourists, had to drag their luggage from far-flung distances as pro-monarchists flooded the airport area, disrupting traffic.

Former King Gyanendra returned to Kathmandu from Jhapa on Friday by helicopter. He had started his tour of Madhesh from Janakpur.

As the vehicle carrying the former King rolled out of the airport entrance, supporters chanted slogans "Raja aau desh bachau" (Come back King, save the nation), "Nepali Janata k bhancha? Rajtantra ley vancha" (What do the Nepali public say? Reinstate the monarchy), among others.

"Today, we have gathered outside the airport to welcome His Majesty back to Kathmandu.

In Nepal, the election process has been revamped. This election, which is being held, results from the hijacking of the Gen-Z protest.

It is being staged on foreign intervention. As a sign of protest, we are here to show support to His Majesty," another pro-monarchist, Tulsi Ram Pokhrel, told ANI.

Following the exit from the airport entrance, former King Shah rose from his vehicle and greeted the crowd with a Namaste gesture and a wave.

He also received flowers and other offerings made by supporters who had covered a stretch of Kathmandu's ring road.

In 2006, Nepal abolished its centuries-old constitutional monarchy after the then-king, Gyanendra Shah, seized power and imposed an emergency, placing all leaders under house arrest.

The movement, also referred to as "People's Movement II", witnessed bloodshed, with dozens killed in a crackdown against protestors by the government.

After weeks of violent protests and increasing international pressure, Gyanendra relinquished power and reinstated the dissolved parliament.

The dawn of the new democracy is highlighted as Lokantantra (People's Rule).

Former King Gyanendra Shah, who had been staying in Pokhara since February 9, returned to Kathmandu on Sunday afternoon.

He arrived at 3:50 pm via a chartered Summit Aeroplane, accompanied by his family.

Formed in the 1990s after the lifting of the ban on political party formation by the then-monarchical system, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has since served as a force consistently supporting the Kingship.

It has also taken part in periodic elections and presented its demands.

In 2008, immediately after the overthrow of monarchical rule in Nepal, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) secured eight seats in the then-constituent assembly, out of 575 seats.

In the 2013 election, it secured 13 seats. In 2017, it fell to one seat, before bouncing back in the 2022 election with 14 seats.

Since its inception, the party has supported a Hindu State and the Kingship as interdependent in the tiny nation buffered between two giants, India and China.

The Himalayan nation of Nepal has a population of 30.55 million, with Hindus accounting for 81.19 per cent of the population, according to the 2022 census.

Though the former King is not taking part in the polls, the RPP has fielded its candidates for the March 5 election.

Nepal's periodic election, which was not due until 2027, was called early after the Gen-Z revolution of 2025, following the dissolution of parliament.

The September 8 and 9 revolt deposed then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

A total of 76 people died in the crackdown by security forces.

The two-day protest, commonly referred to as the "Gen-Z uprising", was against corruption and the social media ban and has now changed the course of Nepali politics.

- ANI