Kathmandu– Two months after deadly clashes rocked Kathmandu, Nepal’s pro-monarchy movement is set to return to the streets on Thursday, May 29, with a renewed commitment to peaceful protest.
The demonstrations, led by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), aim to demand the restoration of the monarchy and Nepal’s status as a Hindu state. Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden emphasized that the protest will be non-violent, characterizing it as a form of civil disobedience and Satyagraha, inspired by the principles of peaceful resistance.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Lingden said the rally will be held at Ratnapark in central Kathmandu regardless of whether the local administration grants permission.
“Our protest will be peaceful and disciplined. It will stay within the Ring Road area. Even if we are denied approval, the demonstration will take place at Ratnapark,” Lingden declared.
He accused Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli of deliberately trying to provoke unrest by encouraging counter-mobilizations at the same time and location. Oli, who also leads the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), reportedly urged party members to “take control” of Kathmandu streets from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 29, according to The Kathmandu Post.
“The Prime Minister’s comments are irresponsible and inflammatory. Either he must retract his statement or resign,” Lingden said. “The government appears to be orchestrating a confrontation, and it is the duty of the press to report this impartially.”
Several pro-monarchy and pro-Hindu groups are expected to join the demonstration in a show of unity, according to sources familiar with the protest planning.
Meanwhile, Kamal Thapa, chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal (RPP-N), said the once-fractured monarchist movement has now coalesced into a single, unified front with a shared agenda.
“We have emerged from political dormancy with renewed purpose,” said Thapa. “This is the right time to push for the abolition of the republic, federalism, and secularism.”
Thapa also criticized mainstream political parties for attempting to marginalize monarchist ideology. He suggested that if the monarchy, abolished by the 2008 Constituent Assembly, were to be reinstated through national consensus, Hridayendra Shah—the grandson of former King Gyanendra Shah—could be a suitable candidate for the throne.
“Monarchy is not about a person; it’s about the institution. If the people agree on Hridayendra, then Gyanendra Shah should support it. What matters is that the successor be a descendant of Prithvi Narayan Shah,” Thapa added.
The planned protest comes two months after violence erupted during a similar pro-monarchy rally in Kathmandu’s Tinkune area on March 28. That unrest left two people dead and hundreds injured in clashes between demonstrators and security forces. The incident caused damages estimated at 460 million Nepalese rupees.
With tensions simmering and both sides preparing for Thursday’s show of strength, all eyes are on Kathmandu as Nepal grapples with its lingering identity crisis between republicanism and monarchy. (Source: IANS)
